Teacher Shortages

K-12 public schools in the United States have faced teacher shortages since the 1930s with the pandemic heightening the problem. State actions to address teacher shortages have included service scholarships, loan forgiveness, paid teacher residencies, mentoring programs for new teachers, and increased compensation. There are unique factors that contribute to teacher shortages in rural areas, including low compensation, greater workload, and geographic isolation. One of the older strategies for addressing teacher shortages is the Grow Your Own Program. Initially, these programs were undertaken at the school district or community level; however, states have become involved in promoting and funding these initiatives. The question becomes: Does the rural/urban divide influence whether a state is more likely to adopt this strategy? In examining this question, this study explored state-level policy actions regarding Grow Your Own initiatives using pooled cross-sectional time series data that controlled for variation between states and overtime.