Some districts face teacher shortage

Some school districts in the Houston region are seeing more staff vacancies and experiencing more difficulty filling substitute teacher roles this school year, due in part to the COVID-19 pandemic. The ongoing national teacher shortage has been exacerbated by teachers’ health concerns and frustrations over districts’ COVID responses. Adding to the problem in Texas, some say, is a lack of state guidance and funding for paid leave for staff who miss work due to exposure to the virus.