Maryland and Virginia make progress getting more full-time teachers into classrooms

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More students in the D.C. region started school this year with a full-time teacher in the classroom.

More students in the D.C. region started school this year with a full-time teacher in the classroom.

A report by the Virginia Department of Education showed steady improvement in the state’s staffing of teachers.

“For the third consecutive year, Virginia has decreased statewide teaching vacancies,” said Tiara Booker-Dwyer, deputy superintendent of student outcomes and school quality in Virginia.

There’s been a 35.9% decrease in teacher vacancies in Virginia since 2023, according to Booker-Dwyer, who co-authored the report.

“That means that every student is starting that school year with a teacher in the classroom, and that makes all the difference,” Booker-Dwyer said.

The teacher vacancy rate in Northern Virginia currently stands at just 1.2%.

Maryland reports statewide teacher vacancies have seen a dramatic reduction of nearly 50% over the past year.

Gov. Wes Moore recently made that announcement, saying he wants to continue that progress with the Grow-Your-Own Educators Grant Program, that began in 2024.

In a news release last week, Moore said, “Today, we accelerate our push to close the educator shortage by leveraging an untapped resource in our state.”

According to the report, several factors have contributed to the lower vacancy rates statewide, including an expanded pathway for qualified teachers to get licensed in Virginia.

Grant funding to support teacher preparation and retention, and improved teacher working conditions, including better teacher pay.

Christina Berta, chief operations officer for Virginia schools, said state supplemental funding has resulted in larger paychecks for teachers over the last four years.

“Teacher salary increases have increased 18%,” Berta said.

The 2025 Virginia School Survey of Climate and Working Conditions, administered to elementary and middle school teachers, finds a large majority of teachers in Virginia are happy with their jobs. About 82% plan to keep teaching at their current school.

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