Ahead of tomorrow's teacher shortage-focused House Education Committee meeting, I'm once again sharing this fact-check on how many teacher vacancies Kentucky *really* has.
It is 300 words. Read it. #kyga23
courier-journal.com/story/news/pol…
It is 300 words. Read it. #kyga23
courier-journal.com/story/news/pol…
You don't need to wonder, "Oh, I wonder if the discrepancy is from xxxx" on Twitter.
You don't need to keep perpetuating incorrect information because you can't be bothered to click a link and digest information.
You can be better!
courier-journal.com/story/news/pol…
You don't need to keep perpetuating incorrect information because you can't be bothered to click a link and digest information.
You can be better!
courier-journal.com/story/news/pol…
But I will take the time to explain the situation via Twitter thread because I know if I don't, y'all won't get it and reporters won't get it right (and will attributed my reporting to the GOP).
So this will be a thread. 🧵
So this will be a thread. 🧵
Gov. Andy Beshear has repeatedly said Kentucky has 11,000 teacher vacancies this year.
If true, that would mean one-fourth of Kentucky classrooms are going uncovered.
One k-group rep I talked to said they hadn't heard of any district facing *that* big of a shortage.
If true, that would mean one-fourth of Kentucky classrooms are going uncovered.
One k-group rep I talked to said they hadn't heard of any district facing *that* big of a shortage.
When I asked Beshear's team where they got this figure, they said 10,816 jobs were posted on the Kentucky Educator Placement Service site for the 2021-22 year.
So the figure is not of active vacancies, but of collective job postings over a span of several months.
So the figure is not of active vacancies, but of collective job postings over a span of several months.
When I talked to KDE, they gave a similar figure — 10,888 postings — from April 2022 to mid-January 2023.
Again, those are collective postings and that includes many non-classroom based roles like assistant superintendents, interventionists, etc.
Again, those are collective postings and that includes many non-classroom based roles like assistant superintendents, interventionists, etc.
Obviously, historical postings do not equal current vacancies.
Obviously, the number of actual vacancies is far lower.
How much lower is hard to say. Hiring is a fluid concept and the best way to track it would be to talk to all 171 districts — something I don't have time for
Obviously, the number of actual vacancies is far lower.
How much lower is hard to say. Hiring is a fluid concept and the best way to track it would be to talk to all 171 districts — something I don't have time for
Several folks have asked if Beshear's figure maybe includes all the roles filled by subs or emergency certifications.
His team said it was based on postings. Postings as a metric do not account for subs/emergency certs.
If he's using a different metric, he should say so.
His team said it was based on postings. Postings as a metric do not account for subs/emergency certs.
If he's using a different metric, he should say so.
That's all I think I've got for the evening. See y'all bright and relatively early from Frankfort for the House Education Committee. I'll be tweeting.
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