Florida – Monday, August 19, 2024: The Florida Department of Education announced today (Monday) that the number of teacher vacancies at the start of this school year is 13.3 percent lower than last year.

This year’s 13.3 percent drop in vacancies follows last year’s decline of more than 8 percent, according to a press release from the FDOE. Vacancy data is reported to the department directly by school districts. “unlike other sources that have attempted to use inaccurate data to report inflated data on teacher vacancies,” says the press release.

Last week, the Florida Education Association (FEA), the state’s largest teachers union, issued a press release stating that “5,007 apprenticeship vacancies, an increase on the figures reported in January this year, but a decrease on the figure reported in August 2023.” The press release also states that Florida’s public schools reported 1.11 teaching vacancies per school, less than last year’s average of 1.28 per school.

“Florida has increased teacher pay, supported teachers in the classroom and provided new pathways into the teaching profession for qualified individuals,” said Education Secretary Manny Diaz Jr. “While skeptics use the same tactics year after year to discredit Florida’s success in education, the numbers speak for themselves. I am proud that the number of teaching vacancies in Florida continues to decline.”

Last year, Florida launched the Teacher Apprenticeship Program, which offers qualified individuals the opportunity to receive on-the-job training from experienced teachers while working toward their teaching certification. In the 2024-2025 school year, more than 100 student teachers will begin this program.

Additionally, Florida has helped military veterans enter the teaching profession through the Military Veterans Certification Pathway. This pathway has helped more than 260 veterans begin their teaching careers with a temporary teaching certificate while they work to complete their requirements.