It's a Rap

Strong communities are built on a strong education system. New York State is facing a critical and escalating educator workforce crisis. Persistent shortages, high turnover, and barriers to accessing high-quality pathways in child-focused careers are leaving education agencies and classrooms understaffed. This impacts the system from early childhood through high school resulting in a widening of opportunity gaps and the weakening of community well-being. Without urgent, targeted investment in the workforce, which supports children from birth through graduation, these shortages threaten the long-term strength of New York’s communities and its economy.

Every child-serving field is facing severe staffing shortages, with too few people entering these roles to meet demand. These gaps stretch across the continuum, from childcare and teacher assistants to CTE, English, math, science, special education, and school leadership. Behind every skilled worker and creative thinker are the professionals who nurtured and guided them, yet without a qualified workforce supporting New York’s children, communities suffer, learning goals go unmet, and educators face increased burnout and turnover.

When we talk about the health and strength of New York State’s economy, we often focus on innovation, infrastructure, and industry. We highlight exciting pathways to emerging careers for our future workers, yet we speak far less about the adults in the continuum of care who nurture and guide them along the way. A well-trained, well-supported child-focused workforce forms the backbone of every sector. This child-centered network of caregivers, educators, and youth-support professionals is a pivotal gear in the system that powers New York State’s economy, developing the critical thinkers, creators, and workers who will drive every industry sector forward.

Investing in the child-focused workforce is one of the most powerful economic decisions New York can make. These educators and caregivers, working alongside families and community partners, are the single strongest in-school influence on a child’s success. And their impact reaches far beyond test scores. Decades of research show that when we invest in students’ social and emotional development, we see lasting gains in health, education, career readiness, economic mobility, and community well-being, a return on investment few other sectors can match. By building confidence, curiosity, and essential life skills, these professionals ignite potential and help young people see themselves as future contributors to their communities and future careers.

And this work begins well before kindergarten. Early childhood programs lay the foundation for lifelong learning, shaping cognitive, social, and emotional development during the most critical years of brain growth. High-quality opportunities from birth to age five set children on a trajectory for success, they enter school better prepared, with stronger language, literacy, and math skills, and are more likely to graduate and thrive. But none of this is possible without qualified, well-supported adults in these roles. Investing in and preparing this workforce is not optional, it is essential to giving every child in New York the strong start they deserve.

Beyond recruitment, retaining talent is an essential financial strategy, as turnover places a heavy burden on school budgets. Longer, immersive preparation programs, like educator apprenticeships and teacher residencies, have an 89% retention rate, compared to around 50% in traditional programs and just 15% in quick-entry alternative certification routes.  And the cost? A NYSSBA analysis found that districts outside New York City spend an average of $260,000 annually on turnover-related costs, with substantial regional variation: Finger Lakes districts experience the highest average costs ($352,046), while North Country districts spend the least ($117,976). These taxpayer dollars would be better spent contributing to a workforce that stays, benefitting the children served.

Entering a career to support the children of NYS  should be determined by interest and commitment, not prohibitive costs. The reality is that becoming an educator through the traditional route is expensive and often lacks the support candidates need to succeed-from financial assistance and high-quality mentorship to childcare, transportation, and emergency services. When these barriers are removed, we expand access to the profession, strengthen the workforce, and create meaningful opportunities for economic mobility within communities.

Accessible, high-retention educator pathways are a direct investment in New York State’s future workforce and economic prosperity. Together through this investment, NYS will build a comprehensive, child-centered workforce that nurtures the next generation of thinkers, workers, and leaders necessary  to strengthen its communities and  ensure a thriving future for all.