Based on its demographic profile and on geography, it would seem safe to assume that Magnolia Middle School in Arkansas is among the scores of schools across the country suffering from a teacher shortage. The school predominantly serves Black and Latino students and those from low-income backgrounds.
Until recently, its starting teacher salary was $36,000, among the lowest in the country. And the closest metro area that could serve as a magnet for talent, Little Rock, is over two hours away.
Yet Magnolia Middle School is fully staffed, with a thriving mix of educators that includes veterans serving as lead teachers and aspiring teachers completing paid, yearlong residencies.
Much of what is driving success in Magnolia is part of a promising strategy across Arkansas, which is becoming a national leader in teacher recruitment and retention. Nationally, the challenges facing our education system require a response that is as multifaceted and nuanced as the problems themselves, and Arkansas’ strategy serves as a promising model of how an integrated range of approaches can be effective.
Arkansas’ strategy should also serve as a call to action for all stakeholders — policymakers, educators, community leaders, philanthropists and the public — to explore adapting such efforts in their own states.
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In Arkansas, we’ve seen firsthand that no one approach can resolve the intricate challenges of teacher recruitment and retention. This understanding has shaped our commitment to a strategy that is as diverse as the communities it serves.
The Arkansas teacher shortage, which has been particularly acute in southern and eastern Arkansas, where students from low-income backgrounds have been the most affected, is a microcosm of a national crisis. The shortage has threatened to not only diminish education quality but also exacerbate inequities within our system.
To address this critical issue, it was essential to recognize that multiple, overlapping barriers contribute to the problem: from financial disincentives to insufficient teacher preparation to inadequate support for teachers already in the system.
Arkansas’ response has included a broad array of interventions. The state initiated significant legislative reforms focused on increasing teacher pay and enhancing benefits, which are fundamental to making the teaching profession more attractive and sustainable. These recent enhancements propelled Arkansas teacher pay from among the lowest in the country to the highest in the country, adjusted for cost of living. And Arkansas teachers are eligible for additional pay, including via mentoring, showing exceptional evidence of student progress and teaching in subject shortage areas or certain geographic areas.
Arkansas is also removing barriers that keep talented prospective teachers away from the classroom, especially in high-need regions. Programs such as the Arkansas Professional Educator Pathway and the Arkansas Teacher Corps exemplify the state’s approach. These initiatives provide alternative routes for individuals with bachelor’s degrees, enabling them to become full-time, paid teachers while completing their licensure requirements. The programs are also helping to diversify the educator workforce: For example, 86 percent of the teachers in the 2024 Teacher Corps cohort identify as people of color.
As these programs grow in size, they have become crucial for career changers and college graduates who need to maintain full-time employment while transitioning into teaching.
In addition, initiatives like the Arkansas Teacher Registered Apprenticeship and collaborative partnerships between schools and nearby universities are cultivating a dedicated teaching force within many local communities.
The nonprofit Forward Arkansas awarded $3.6 million, including direct funding and ongoing technical assistance, to support transformation efforts in traditional educator preparation programs, including paid yearlong residencies in nearby school districts. One such teacher prep program is at Southern Arkansas University, which partners with Magnolia Middle School.
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These efforts are designed not just to fill teaching positions temporarily but to build a sustainable, committed and high-quality workforce that understands and is invested in local educational needs.
By advancing a purposeful recruitment and retention strategy that eschews a one-size-fits-all approach, we can ensure that every student in Arkansas, and potentially across the nation, can benefit from the presence of diverse, effective teachers.
That’s the first step to making sure our public education system succeeds in giving every young person the resources they need to thrive long after they leave the classroom.
Tequilla Brownie is CEO of TNTP, an education nonprofit that brings research, policy and consulting together to transform America’s public education system. Ben Kutylo serves as executive director of Forward Arkansas, an independent education nonprofit that works with educators, communities and state leaders, and where Brownie is a board member.
This story about teacher shortages was produced by The Hechinger Report, a nonprofit, independent news organization focused on inequality and innovation in education. Sign up for Hechinger’s weekly newsletter.