Tallahassee, Fla., August 19, 2024 – The Florida Department of Education announced today that teacher vacancies for the 2024-2025 school year are 13.3 percent lower than first-day vacancies for the previous school year. Schools have reported an average of 1.11 teacher vacancies per school, down from last year's average of 1.28 vacancies per school. This year's decline follows a drop of over 8 percent in vacancies compared to the prior year.
"Florida has raised teacher pay, supported teachers in the classroom and created new pathways for qualified individuals to enter the teaching profession," said Commissioner of Education Manny Diaz, Jr. "While the naysayers use the same tactics year after year to discredit Florida’s success in education, once again the numbers speak for themselves. I am proud that Florida’s teacher vacancies continue to decline and I am confident that this is a direct result of the forward-thinking policies that Governor Ron DeSantis has championed."
The reduction in teacher vacancies is attributed to Governor DeSantis' commitment to supporting educators, with more than $4.6 billion invested in teacher pay increases since 2019.
Under Governor DeSantis’ leadership, Florida has introduced multiple pathways for qualified individuals to enter the teaching profession. Last year saw the launch of the Teacher Apprenticeship Program, which allows qualified individuals to receive on-the-job training from veteran teachers while working towards their teaching certification. More than 100 teacher apprentices will begin this program during the 2024-2025 school year.
Additionally, Florida has facilitated military veterans entering the teaching profession through the Military Veterans Certification Pathway. This initiative has enabled more than 260 veterans to start their teaching careers with a temporary teaching certificate while they complete their requirements.