Reports of a teacher shortage are a staple of Michigan media, although actual data collected by the state and school districts seldom back them up. On Sept. 17, WOOD-TV reported that Forest Hills Public Schools held a job fair to deal with its teacher shortage.
School data indicate the district has 571 teachers in the 2021-22 school year, four more than last year.
Student enrollment at Forest Hills has fallen slightly, from 9,850 in 2017-18 to 9,370 in 2020-21, for a 5% decrease.
The number of teachers is also down 2%, from 579 in 2017-18 to 567 in 2020-21.
The state of Michigan has not yet released enrollment data for 2021-22.
Michigan Capitol Confidential has reported on the allegations of a teacher shortage for several years. Based on the number of applicants for teaching positions that have been examined over a multiple-year period, there appears to be a shortage in some areas, such as special education, foreign languages and advanced specialized courses.
Michigan Capitol Confidential is the news source produced by the Mackinac Center for Public Policy. Michigan Capitol Confidential reports with a free-market news perspective.