According to the Annenberg Institute at Brown University, a staggering number of over 163,000 teachers in the United States in 2022 were not qualified for their jobs. They often held only an emergency certification or worked in a subject or grade not covered by their credential. This same pattern has been evolving in most states. To put it into perspective, here are some examples from a few states:

Alaska: The Anchorage School District is struggling to hire enough teachers and other staff to address increasing vacancies. In 2023-24, there were around 400 unfilled positions district-wide.
Missouri: There are over 3,000 non-certified teachers in classrooms across Missouri. The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education said inappropriately certified means an educator is teaching in a content area for which they don't have the appropriate certificate, directly impacting the quality of education their students receive.
South Carolina: There were 1,400 teacher vacancies at the start of the 2023-24 school year, according to the Center for Educator Recruitment, Retention, and Advancement.
California: A recent study in 2020-21 recorded that almost 5,800 interns and 6,100 teachers were on emergency permits. They projected that by 2025, with the expansion of kindergarten throughout the state, another 15,000 credentialed teachers would be needed.
Texas: According to a Dallas Morning News study, one in three new teachers hired across Texas during the 2022-2023 school year were uncertified. Approximately 15,300 new teachers were hired without a Texas certification, a 650 percent increase from 2010 (Menchac, Kelly, and Goodwin, 2024).

Growing shortages in some other countries

The following are the main concerns on teacher shortages and unqualified persons highlighted by an international educator. He referred to them as 'worldwide concerns:

A growing middle class seeks opportunities for their children to become well-educated.
University-based teacher education programs cannot fulfill the growing demand for teachers.
Government, private and international schools are employing a growing number of individuals (often 10% to 30% of employed teachers) who have not, through valid assessment against recognized standards, demonstrated their ability to guide students’ learning in their care.
Concerned school administrators realize they do not know where they will find teachers for the schools they are building and the students they intend to enroll.
Does it matter that teachers are not qualified as long as they have a university bachelor's degree and a willingness to try teaching? Yes, it does! (Kissock, 2017).

The nationwide teacher shortage in the U.S. and many other countries has led to alarming and worrisome consequences as long-term non-credentialed substitutes are being hired to cover many classrooms. This unprecedented situation has persisted for nearly a decade, resulting in students being taught by individuals who are not fully qualified as teachers. This demands not just attention but immediate and decisive action.

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