Florida teacher vacancies continue to drop, down 13% from last year

Press release from Florida Department of Education

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Today, the Florida Department of Education announced that teacher vacancies for the 2024-2025 school year are 13.3 percent lower than first-day vacancies for the 2023-2024 school year. Schools have reported 1.11 teacher vacancies per school, lower than last year’s average of 1.28 vacancies per school. This year’s 13.3 percent drop in vacancies follows last year’s drop of over 8 percent in comparison to the previous year. Vacancy data is reported to the Department directly from school districts, contrary to other sources that have attempted to use inaccurate data to report inflated teacher vacancy data.

“Florida has raised teacher pay, supported teachers in the classroom, and created new pathways for qualified individuals to enter the teaching profession,” said Commissioner of Education Manny Diaz, Jr. “While the naysayers use the same tactics year after year to discredit Florida’s success in education, once again the numbers speak for themselves. I am proud that Florida’s teacher vacancies continue to decline, and I am confident that this is a direct result of the forward-thinking policies that Governor Ron DeSantis has championed.”

This success is a direct result of Governor DeSantis’ commitment to supporting teachers, with more than $4.6 billion invested in teacher pay increases since 2019.

Under Governor DeSantis’ leadership, Florida has created multiple pathways for qualified individuals to enter the teaching profession. Last year, Florida launched the Teacher Apprenticeship Program, allowing qualified individuals to receive on-the-job training from veteran teachers while they work towards their teaching certification. More than 100 teacher apprentices will begin this program during the 2024-2025 school year. Additionally, Florida has helped military veterans enter the teaching profession through the Military Veterans Certification Pathway. This pathway has helped more than 260 veterans begin their teaching career through a temporary teaching certificate while they work towards completing their requirements.

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