The teacher shortage in Iowa’s going to get worse before it gets better. Iowa schools hired about 800 new teachers this year. In two years, Department of Education director Ted Stilwell predicts schools will need 1200 new teachers to replace retiring educators. Stilwell says it’s time to pay the “market-rate” for new teachers, and he predicts long-time teachers will object to higher pay for rookies. The state is particularly short of teachers in the following areas: math, science, special ed, driver’s ed and foreign language teachers. Stilwell made his comments during taping of the Iowa Public Television program, “Iowa Press.”
