The national teacher shortage, which has been attributed to various factors, continues to affect today’s youth. The issue of teacher shortages across the United States has been an issue since 2015, when the National Center for Education Statistics found a ratio imbalance with not enough instructors per students. Because of this scarcity, more and more classrooms are now being occupied by substitutes or under qualified instructors. 

“I think our kids suffer the most when we don’t have adequate staffing because their needs aren’t being met or we can’t accommodate everything we should be,” special education instructor Heather England said.

According to the Learning Policy Institute, there were over 45,000 unfilled teaching positions across 48 states (including Nebraska) along with the District of Columbia as of June 2025. On top of that, they also estimated that over 300,000 teachers of the same demographic were not fully certified for their position as an instructor.

“We’re not modifying the work like we should be because we just don’t have the people in place who know how to do that,” England said.

Elevate K-12 writes that the teacher shortage can disrupt the learning process for students, creating an unstable academic environment. For example, when a teacher unexpectedly quits, students may be left with a substitute who is unequipped to properly instruct certain subjects. If a student’s learning is affected this way, Elevate K-12 suggests that it could eventually lead to lower educational opportunities and graduation rates.

“To be honest, I don’t do my work, like at all [when having a substitute teacher],” senior Devonte Heenan said. “Either it’s like I do work for other classes, or I just don’t do work at all.”

However, not all students are affected to the same degree by the teacher shortage crisis. As stated by the Learning Disabilities Association of America, students in special education disproportionately face staffing problems. One report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office in 2024 outlined that some students with disabilities had their services delayed or did not receive special education services at all due to district shortages.

“I ain’t playing around with my kids,” substitute instructor for Liberty County, Georgia, Sylvia Graham said. “They’re going to be something. I made sure all of them were involved with something. Band, cheerleading, all of it. Because you don’t see a lot of special needs kids doing those types of things. I once had a parent tell me she was so happy her baby finally had a teacher who did something with her.”

There are several factors that contribute to an overall lack of sufficient instructors. Among them include a decreased interest in teaching as a profession, retirement, low compensation, and a high workload. Despite this, the Nebraska Legislature has proposed Legislative Bills 519 and 523, which would assist with instructor retention and provide teachers with financial support.

“It is tough when the pay is not the best,” England said. “But it is very rewarding when you get to see the successes of your kids and some of the things you’ve worked on forever finally come into light.”