When Gov. Greg Abbott created a task force this month to look at teacher and school staff shortages, he was wading into an issue that has long plagued public schools in the state.
“This task force should work diligently to ensure that best practices and resources for recruitment and retention are provided to districts to ensure the learning environment of Texas students is not interrupted by the absence of a qualified teacher,” Abbott said in his announcement.
Texas Education Agency officials say that school districts have struggled to fill teaching vacancies for years, particularly in rural parts of the state and in such specialized areas as bilingual and special education. The problems have become more acute during the pandemic, as teachers have retired or quit the profession in numbers that have alarmed education experts.
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