The Fragility of the Missouri Teaching Workforce
How Temporary Fixes are Becoming Permanent Solutions in Missouri Classrooms
Missouri’s teacher workforce is holding together, albeit in different ways than before.
This third report in Aligned’s Missouri Teacher Workforce Series examines how schools are staffing classrooms amid ongoing workforce challenges, with a focus on changes in teacher credentials and preparation.
Overview
Missouri has maintained a relatively stable number of classroom teachers over the past decade. However, the composition of that workforce has changed significantly. This report finds that schools are increasingly relying on temporary and early-career credentials to fill full-time roles, reflecting a shift in how districts respond to staffing pressures.
The share of classrooms led by fully certified teachers has declined, while the number of teachers working under substitute, provisional, or initial certifications has grown substantially. These changes suggest that what began as short-term solutions to staffing shortages are becoming a more permanent feature of Missouri’s education system.
Key Findings
- Fewer classrooms are led by fully certified teachers. The share of Missouri classrooms led by teachers holding a professional or lifetime certification declined from nearly 97 percent in 2015 to 81.4 percent in 2024.
- Temporary credentials are playing a larger role. The number of classrooms led by teachers on substitute certifications increased tenfold, rising from 157 in 2015 to 1,622 in 2024.
- The system is relying more heavily on early-career teachers. The number of teachers on initial professional certifications has grown sharply, increasing from roughly 1,500 to more than 7,700 over the same period.
Why It Matters
Teacher headcount alone does not capture the full picture of workforce capacity. Classrooms led by fully certified, experienced educators may offer a different level of instructional consistency than those led by individuals still completing certification or serving in temporary roles.
As the share of early-career and temporary educators grows (and the number of fully certified teachers declines) Missouri’s workforce becomes more dependent on continuous recruitment and short-term staffing solutions. This dynamic may make it more difficult to sustain instructional quality, support new teachers effectively, and maintain long-term stability in schools.
Missouri Teacher Workforce Series
This report is part of a three-part series examining Missouri’s educator workforce:
- Part 1: Rising Novices, Growing Veterans, and Shrinking Middle
- Part 2: The Hollow Core: Missouri’s Vanishing Mid-Career Teachers
- Part 3: The Fragility of the Missouri Teaching Workforce