When the school year started in 2022, there were 5,208 teaching vacancies in Florida. Gov. Ron DeSantis’ answer to the critical “teacher shortage” was the creation of the veteran to teacher certification pathway, which gives a five-year temporary certificate to veterans who have a minimum of four years of active duty military service with an honorable/medical discharge and a minimum of 60 college credits with a 2.5 grade point average. Now, 6 months after the program has started, only 7 total veterans have been hired for the program in the entire state.
“We want you to be able to teach Florida students, our veterans have a wealth of knowledge and experience they can bring to bear in the classroom. And with this innovative approach, they will be able to do so for five years with a temporary certification as they work towards their degree,” DeSantis said in August.
According the the Florida Department of Education’s Critical Teacher’s Shortage Report, a projected total of 9,709 vacancies are expected this year. Many teachers are expected to quit over the winter break.