New York state is facing a teacher shortage, and a new audit out by the state comptroller’s office says the New York State Education Department isn’t being diligent enough to fill those holes.
The audit says New York is set to need 180,000 teachers over the next decade, and districts ranging from large urban areas to rural communities already see a need for instructors in high-impact subject areas.
The audit boils down to a couple of issues.
Of the $191 million in grants allocated to fight the shortage, the Education Department only gave out $155 million, and of that, only $118 million was spent.
The audit found only 4% of districts applied for the Teachers for Tomorrow grant cycle.
The comptroller’s office recommends stronger monitoring and communication from the education department about the grants.
“The State Education Department needs to more effectively use the funds available to help address New York’s shortage of teachers and improve program outcomes,” state Comptroller Tom DiNapoli said in a statement. “The Department must strengthen its oversight, communication and monitoring, and increase the use of the programs that support teacher recruitment, retention, certification and workforce diversity.”
DiNapoli’s office says the state Education Department generally disagreed with the audit’s findings and recommendations, saying it monitored the grant programs and that it did not fully account for the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.