Chart / Courtesy, Educate Maine
The average starting salary of an educator in Maine is $60,000, lower than the other New England states, according to the report by Educate Maine.
Updated: August 29, 2024
Maine teacher shortage presents 'clear and present danger,' new report shows
Photo / Jim Neuger
The average age of Maine's 14,000-strong educator workforce is 46, as documented in a 39-page report by Educate Maine.
Maine's teachers are getting older, fewer young people are entering the comparatively low-paid profession, and as a result the 14,000-employee field is under pressure, a new report shows.
"Maine's Educator Workforce Data Landscape," released Thursday by Educate Maine, offers a detailed picture of the state's educator workforce from pre-kindergarten through grade 12. The findings focus mainly on those teaching in the public school system, including substitute and special education teachers.
"The looming teacher shortage is no longer looming," Jason Judd, executive director of Educate Maine, told Mainebiz. "It's a clear and present danger right now. Some schools are still opening the year with teacher vacancies."
Noting that the numbers “tell a worrying story,” he added, “We need more pathways to the profession, greater support for all educators and policy changes to make recruitment and retention successful.”
'Edge of the cliff'
With an average age of 46, Maine’s teacher workforce is older than the nation’s, the report shows. With less than 10% of Maine teachers under age 30, the state is also among the five states with the lowest percentage of teachers in that age group.
"Maine's educators are the oldest in the nation and we're not producing enough teachers from educator preparation programs to meet schools' needs," said Judd, a former teacher, college and career counselor, and director of academic studies and academic dean at Maine Central Institute in Pittsfield,
"We're already at the edge of the cliff for educator recruitment and retention,"
When it comes to teacher compensation, Maine also lags all of its New England peers and the U.S. as a whole, the study reveals. While salaries vary widely by county and district, the starting salary for teachers in Maine is $40,000, while the average salary is $60,000.
Nationally and in Maine, teachers are also paid less than others in occupations requiring similar education.
Actions and advocacy
The report's findings are just a starting point for Educate Maine, a Portland-based nonprofit, and its Teach Maine Center program, which aims to improve teacher recruitment and retention across the state.
“We’re finding new ways to support our current teacher workforce and advocate for the policy changes that will help them,” Judd said.
The Teach Maine Center intends to collect more data about the workforce and to be a clearinghouse for information for teachers as well as those considering a career in teaching.
"We want to work with school districts and other stakeholders to create core professional pathways," he said.
More information
Find the full report here.
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