Los Angeles Unified School District superintendent Alberto Carvalho told “Face The Nation” host Margaret Brennan, Sunday, that there aren’t enough qualified teachers to make up for the national teacher shortage.
Brennan asked that, as the average pay for teachers in LAUSD was just over $87,000, was the issue with a lack of teachers really to do with their salaries, as seen in a clip shared on Twitter. She furthered that federal emergency funding has been pumped into the national school system, so why isn’t the incentive of pay good enough to solve the problem of teacher shortages.
On the national teacher shortage, L.A. Unified School District Superintendent Alberto Carvalho says incentives are important to solving the problem but “there are insufficient candidates graduating from colleges of education nationally.” pic.twitter.com/hKOieOo271
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) August 14, 2022
“Well, number one, the incentives are positive. However, you need to have a pipeline of eligible candidates to fill these positions,” Carvalho replied. “There are insufficient candidates graduating from colleges of education nationally.” This is particularly true of teachers with certifications to work with disabled and elementary children, he noted.
“So, the pay is important. Working conditions are important. Health benefits, packages are important,” he continued, “I can tell you one thing, considering the cost of living in Los Angeles, considering the cost of housing in Los Angeles, it is difficult to recruit individuals into our community.” (RELATED: REPORT: Homeless Transient Found Dead On LA High School Campus)
Carvalho’s educational jurisdiction is ranked one of the lowest in California, according to Public School Review. California as a state ranked 40th out of 50 in a 2022 ranking of the best and worst school systems in the U.S., WalletHub reported.