The Increasing Reliance on Emergency Permits for Teachers in Pennsylvania
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| Title: | The Increasing Reliance on Emergency Permits for Teachers in Pennsylvania |
|---|---|
| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Sean Vannata, Mary Eddins, Research for Action (RFA), Pennsylvania Clearinghouse for Education Research (PACER) |
| Source: | Research for Action. 2025. |
| Availability: | Research for Action. 100 South Broad Street Suite 700, Philadelphia, PA 19110. Tel: 215-823-2500; Fax: 215-823-2510; e-mail: info@researchforaction.org; Web site: http://www.researchforaction.org |
| Peer Reviewed: | N |
| Page Count: | 23 |
| Publication Date: | 2025 |
| Sponsoring Agency: | Heinz Endowments William Penn Foundation |
| Document Type: | Reports - Research-practitioner Partnerships Reports - Research |
| Descriptors: | Alternative Teacher Certification, Teacher Shortage, Substitute Teachers, School Districts, Special Education Teachers, Teacher Qualifications, Teacher Selection, Public Schools, Charter Schools |
| Geographic Terms: | Pennsylvania |
| Abstract: | Teacher shortages have become increasingly prevalent nationwide, and Pennsylvania's educator shortage presents a significant challenge to its public education system, particularly affecting specific subject areas and certain regions. One consequence of this teacher shortage is an increased reliance on "emergency permits," which are emergency certificates requested from the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) when school districts, charter schools, and other Local Education Agencies (LEAs) are unable to fill positions of need with traditionally certified teachers. This brief examines emergency permit data from PDE to provide a deeper understanding of how emergency permits have been and are being used by Pennsylvania LEAs. The analysis focuses on the rising reliance on two specific types of permits (Type 01 and 04) that are used to hire long-term substitutes, or staff who fill teaching positions for up to a full academic year. Because they educate students for extended periods of time and more directly impact student learning, the use of these types of emergency certified teachers warrants closer examination. This brief analyzes emergency permit use over time and across different LEA types, explores emergency permit use by classroom subjects, and highlights LEAs with the highest emergency permit rates and examines their key characteristics. The analysis finds that emergency permit use in Pennsylvania has risen over time, and this statewide increase has been primarily driven by a small number of high-use LEAs. Districts, charters, and career and technical centers all experience concentrated emergency permit use in a small number of LEAs, but district emergency permit use is intensely concentrated, with only 20 of 499 districts using half of all emergency permits in the state. The sharpest increases in emergency permit use have occurred in high-need subjects such as special education and in LEAs that serve historically marginalized student populations and operate under an extreme lack of adequate resources. While emergency certified teachers are stepping up to fill vacancies and provide essential roles across LEAs most impacted by the mounting teacher shortage, these trends are a clear signal of challenges facing the state's teacher workforce. |
| Abstractor: | ERIC |
| Entry Date: | 2025 |
| Accession Number: | ED675400 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| FullText | Text: Availability: 0 CustomLinks: – Url: https://eric.ed.gov/contentdelivery/servlet/ERICServlet?accno=ED675400 Name: ERIC Full Text Category: fullText Text: Full Text from ERIC |
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| Header | DbId: eric DbLabel: ERIC An: ED675400 AccessLevel: 3 PubType: Report PubTypeId: report PreciseRelevancyScore: 0 |
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| Items | – Name: Title Label: Title Group: Ti Data: The Increasing Reliance on Emergency Permits for Teachers in Pennsylvania – Name: Language Label: Language Group: Lang Data: English – Name: Author Label: Authors Group: Au Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Sean+Vannata%22">Sean Vannata</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Mary+Eddins%22">Mary Eddins</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Research+for+Action+%28RFA%29%2C+Pennsylvania+Clearinghouse+for+Education+Research+%28PACER%29%22">Research for Action (RFA), Pennsylvania Clearinghouse for Education Research (PACER)</searchLink> – Name: TitleSource Label: Source Group: Src Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Research+for+Action%22"><i>Research for Action</i></searchLink>. 2025. – Name: Avail Label: Availability Group: Avail Data: Research for Action. 100 South Broad Street Suite 700, Philadelphia, PA 19110. Tel: 215-823-2500; Fax: 215-823-2510; e-mail: info@researchforaction.org; Web site: http://www.researchforaction.org – Name: PeerReviewed Label: Peer Reviewed Group: SrcInfo Data: N – Name: Pages Label: Page Count Group: Src Data: 23 – Name: DatePubCY Label: Publication Date Group: Date Data: 2025 – Name: SourceSuprt Label: Sponsoring Agency Group: SrcSuprt Data: Heinz Endowments<br />William Penn Foundation – Name: TypeDocument Label: Document Type Group: TypDoc Data: Reports - Research-practitioner Partnerships<br />Reports - Research – Name: Subject Label: Descriptors Group: Su Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Alternative+Teacher+Certification%22">Alternative Teacher Certification</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Teacher+Shortage%22">Teacher Shortage</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Substitute+Teachers%22">Substitute Teachers</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22School+Districts%22">School Districts</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Special+Education+Teachers%22">Special Education Teachers</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Teacher+Qualifications%22">Teacher Qualifications</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Teacher+Selection%22">Teacher Selection</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Public+Schools%22">Public Schools</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Charter+Schools%22">Charter Schools</searchLink> – Name: Subject Label: Geographic Terms Group: Su Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Pennsylvania%22">Pennsylvania</searchLink> – Name: Abstract Label: Abstract Group: Ab Data: Teacher shortages have become increasingly prevalent nationwide, and Pennsylvania's educator shortage presents a significant challenge to its public education system, particularly affecting specific subject areas and certain regions. One consequence of this teacher shortage is an increased reliance on "emergency permits," which are emergency certificates requested from the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) when school districts, charter schools, and other Local Education Agencies (LEAs) are unable to fill positions of need with traditionally certified teachers. This brief examines emergency permit data from PDE to provide a deeper understanding of how emergency permits have been and are being used by Pennsylvania LEAs. The analysis focuses on the rising reliance on two specific types of permits (Type 01 and 04) that are used to hire long-term substitutes, or staff who fill teaching positions for up to a full academic year. Because they educate students for extended periods of time and more directly impact student learning, the use of these types of emergency certified teachers warrants closer examination. This brief analyzes emergency permit use over time and across different LEA types, explores emergency permit use by classroom subjects, and highlights LEAs with the highest emergency permit rates and examines their key characteristics. The analysis finds that emergency permit use in Pennsylvania has risen over time, and this statewide increase has been primarily driven by a small number of high-use LEAs. Districts, charters, and career and technical centers all experience concentrated emergency permit use in a small number of LEAs, but district emergency permit use is intensely concentrated, with only 20 of 499 districts using half of all emergency permits in the state. The sharpest increases in emergency permit use have occurred in high-need subjects such as special education and in LEAs that serve historically marginalized student populations and operate under an extreme lack of adequate resources. While emergency certified teachers are stepping up to fill vacancies and provide essential roles across LEAs most impacted by the mounting teacher shortage, these trends are a clear signal of challenges facing the state's teacher workforce. – Name: AbstractInfo Label: Abstractor Group: Ab Data: ERIC – Name: DateEntry Label: Entry Date Group: Date Data: 2025 – Name: AN Label: Accession Number Group: ID Data: ED675400 |
| PLink | https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=eric&AN=ED675400 |
| RecordInfo | BibRecord: BibEntity: Languages: – Text: English PhysicalDescription: Pagination: PageCount: 23 Subjects: – SubjectFull: Alternative Teacher Certification Type: general – SubjectFull: Teacher Shortage Type: general – SubjectFull: Substitute Teachers Type: general – SubjectFull: School Districts Type: general – SubjectFull: Special Education Teachers Type: general – SubjectFull: Teacher Qualifications Type: general – SubjectFull: Teacher Selection Type: general – SubjectFull: Public Schools Type: general – SubjectFull: Charter Schools Type: general – SubjectFull: Pennsylvania Type: general Titles: – TitleFull: The Increasing Reliance on Emergency Permits for Teachers in Pennsylvania Type: main BibRelationships: HasContributorRelationships: – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Research for Action (RFA), Pennsylvania Clearinghouse for Education Research (PACER) – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Sean Vannata – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Mary Eddins IsPartOfRelationships: – BibEntity: Dates: – D: 01 M: 06 Type: published Y: 2025 Titles: – TitleFull: Research for Action Type: main |
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