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Harrisburg – Over 100 teachers, students, and education advocates from across the Commonwealth gathered at the Pennsylvania State Capitol today to highlight the urgent need to attract more educators – particularly those of color – to the teaching profession. Hosted and organized by education advocacy groups, Pennsylvania Educator Diversity Consortium (PEDC), Pennsylvania Association of Colleges and Teacher Educators (PAC-TE) and Pennsylvania Council of Administrators of Special Education (PaCASE), the group urged lawmakers to fully fund the Student Teacher Stipend Program to support emerging educators and help address Pennsylvania’s significant educator workforce shortage, particularly in the most vulnerable school districts.
Ten years ago, Pennsylvania prepared 19,000 new teachers to enter the workforce each year. Today, that number has declined to fewer than 7,000, with schools facing major staffing crises. To make matters worse, less than 7 percent of the educators we do have are people of color despite the fact that nearly 40 percent of students are people of color. And more than half of our teacher vacancies are in districts where at least 80 percent of students are people of color. This is especially important because research shows that students of color are more likely to graduate from high school, be prepared to do well in college, and get ready for the workforce when they have the opportunity to learn from someone who looks like them and has shared life experiences.
To begin to reverse this troubling trend, PEDC, PAC-TE, and PaCASE are calling for lawmakers to allocate $55 million to fully fund Pennsylvania’s Student Teacher Stipend Program and to invest in Talent Recruitment Accounts that support district and educator prep initiatives to recruit and retain teachers. Dual enrollment, apprenticeship, residency, and other Grow Your Own programs help aspiring educators earn degrees and rebuild the teacher pipeline.
“Every child in Pennsylvania should have the opportunity to learn from high-quality teachers who look like them and understand their unique background and challenges,” said PEDC Co-Executive Director Dr. Donna-Marie Cole. “But the sad reality is that our schools are facing a severe educator workforce crisis in Pennsylvania – and the schools that need the most support are the ones with the greatest teacher shortages. It’s time to reverse this trend and invest in programs – like the Student Teacher Stipend Program – that will help to support emerging educators and make their teacher pathway easier to achieve. We are calling on lawmakers to fully fund the Student Teacher Stipend Program with a $55 million annual investment to ensure our teachers – and our kids – have the resources they need to succeed.”
The General Assembly and Governor Shapiro established the Student Teacher Stipend Program in 2023 to support Pennsylvanians training to become certified and committed educators in the Commonwealth. The program was initially piloted with $10 million, but demand has proven to be extremely high.
“Student teaching is not optional—it is essential preparation for the profession,” said Tom Conway, President of PAC-TE. “If Pennsylvania is serious about attracting and retaining strong educators, we must make sure aspiring teachers are not priced out of the path to certification. Fully funding student teacher stipends is not just an education investment. It is a workforce investment, an equity investment, and an investment in Pennsylvania’s future.”
In addition to individual meetings with members of the General Assembly and their staff, the group also held a press conference in the Rotunda. Speakers included State Rep. Aerion Abney (D, Allegheny), PA Department of Education Special Education Bureau Director Dr. Carole Clancy, PEDC Co-Executive Director Dr. Donna-Marie Cole, PaCASE Vice President William Jeffreys, PAC-TE President Dr. Tom Conway, Teach Plus PA Policy Alum and Norristown teacher Thaddeus Peay II, Susquehanna Township School District Superintendent Dr. Tamara Willis, Wilson College Special Education Major and Student Teacher Madison Briggs, Commonwealth University Education Major Lindsay Pensyl and Iyana Hall, an 11th Grader from the Science Leadership Academy (SLA) at Beeber High School in Philadelphia.
“This is a critical point in time for our children’s education because our schools are not attracting enough teachers,” Chair Abney said. “We have to invest in the initiatives that will attract more teachers, and particularly teachers of color. As policy makers, we have a responsibility to step up and help bridge these gaps, and we have to do it now.”
During the press conference, PaCASE highlighted the strain our teacher shortage is having on special education in the Commonwealth. In October 2023: 834 special education positions were vacant or staffed by substitutes. In October 2024: That number surged to 1,379. As we move through 2026, the strain on our system has only intensified, making our presence today more vital than ever. Furthermore, we face a profound representation gap. To deliver evidence-based, high-leverage practices that truly help every student succeed, our workforce must reflect the diversity of the students we serve.
“Excellence in education requires more than just dedication; it requires investment. We cannot bridge these gaps without sizable, long-term financial commitments from our legislators,” said PaCASE Vice President William Jeffreys.
Background:
In Pennsylvania, 94 percent of teachers are white, despite evidence that learners of every racial identity benefit from teachers of color. While data show that students of color have positive personal and academic outcomes when they are taught by teachers of color, only 7 percent of K-12 teachers in the Commonwealth are people of color, compared to nearly 40 percent of students. This represents one of the most significant educational disparities in the country. Furthermore, Pennsylvania is losing thousands of potential teachers each year along the educator pipeline.
About PEDC:
The Pennsylvania Educator Diversity Consortium (PEDC) is a grassroots organization of early childhood, PK-12, higher education, non-profit, community, and government leaders striving to increase the number of teachers of color, specifically those who identify as Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color, in Pennsylvania. There are over 1,800 individuals, many of whom represent nearly 500 organizations across the Commonwealth, who are committed to PEDC's vision of a future in which each learner in Pennsylvania experiences racially, ethnically, and linguistically diverse and culturally relevant and sustaining educators leading their classrooms and educational institutions. For more information on PEDC, please visit www.paeddiversity.org or follow on social media at:
About PAC-TE:
The Pennsylvania Association of Colleges and Teacher Educators (PAC-TE) is a nonprofit professional association for all those in Pennsylvania who are engaged in the preparation and development of professional educators. PAC-TE is dedicated to providing strong advocacy for professional education preparation within the commonwealth. The purpose of PAC-TE as the voice for professional educator preparation in Pennsylvania is to promote quality professional educator preparation programs and to provide opportunities for individual professional growth for all persons in Pennsylvania engaged in professional educator preparation. PAC-TE welcomes individual, institutional, student, and retired members. For more information on PAC-TE, please visit: https://www.pac-te.org.
About PaCASE:
The Council of Administrators of Special Education (CASE) is a Division of the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC). The Mission of the Council of Administrators of Special Education, Inc. is to provide leadership and support to members by shaping policies and practices which impact the quality of education. PaCASE is the state unit within CASE. For more information, please visit casecec.org or follow us on social media at:
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Media Contact: Andrea Mead, andrea.mead@omc.com, 215-805-3746
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