🛝 Educators Don’t Know How to Use AI, Teachers Working a Second Job, Special Education Teachers Supply Pipeline

Welcome to Playground Post, a bi-weekly newsletter that keeps education innovators ahead of what's next.

Here's what we have on deck for today…

• Educators Don’t Know How to Use AI

• Teachers Working a Second Job

• Special Education Teachers Supply Pipeline

Educators Want AI, But 88% Don't Have a Clue How to Use It

54% of educators believe AI tools will be the game-changer for student outcomes over the next few years. But here's the reality check: only 13% of teachers actually use AI in their classrooms right now.

Additionally, just 12% of educators say their district has a clear vision for AI integration. PowerSchool's survey of 2,500 educators reveals the disconnect isn't about resistance to change but about know-how and needing tools that solve basic problems.

Teachers are drowning in day-to-day challenges:

• 50% are battling attendance issues

• 42% are managing behavior problems

• 40% are trying to fill empty teaching positions

The gap showcases an opportunity to build AI solutions that don't require a computer science degree to implement and can help solve the attendance and behavior problems teachers face daily, while gradually introducing the personalization features they desperately want.

1 in 6 Teachers Work Second Jobs. The Problem Isn't What You Think.

17% of teachers work a second job during the school year. That's nearly four times higher than the general population's 4.6% rate.

This isn't a pandemic problem or a recent trend. Teachers have been moonlighting at these rates since at least 2007, consistently working side hustles while trying to educate America's kids.

The data gets more sobering when you look at who's most likely to need that extra income. 35% of first-year teachers work summer jobs compared to just 13% of teachers with 30+ years of experience.

Teachers earn an average of $6,090 from their school-year side jobs, representing 9% of their total income. For teachers without bachelor's degrees, summer work makes up 12% of their annual earnings.

51% of teachers report being dissatisfied with their pay, yet 74% of Americans think teachers deserve more money. Everyone agrees teachers are underpaid, but the system hasn't changed.

Education innovatorscan help by building solutions that either supplement teacher income or reduce their financial pressure. Think platforms that help teachers monetize their expertise, tools that streamline lesson planning to free up time for side work, or benefits programs that stretch teacher dollars further.

Finding a Special Education Teacher Is Like "Spotting a Unicorn"

74% of elementary and middle schools can't find fully certified special education teachers to fill their vacancies. Kevin Rubenstein from the Council of Administrators of Special Education says finding qualified candidates "feels like trying to spot a unicorn" because it's "rare but magical."

The problem runs deeper than just K-12 shortages. Teacher preparation program enrollment has crashed by 45% in just one decade. Early childhood programs can't find enough early interventionists. Higher education is struggling to train the next generation of special educators.

"Our supply pipeline is broken," says Kyena Cornelius, an education professor at the University of Florida. Alternative certification programs have tried to fill the gap, but they often lack the depth of training needed for disability-specific knowledge and teaching pedagogy.

Meanwhile, the 350 paraprofessionals who participated in Michigan's new learning series show there's hunger for professional development. As David Krantz from Saginaw Intermediate School District puts it: "If people don't feel valued in their service, they're going to leave."

Comprehensive training platforms that bridge the gap between alternative certification and traditional preparation programs can help build a stronger pipeline and address the vacancy dilemma.

We'll be back with another edition on Tuesday. See you then!

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