The teacher pipeline is broken, says Christopher Morphew, dean of the Johns Hopkins School of Education. As teacher shortages loom across the country, the number of U.S. students majoring in education has dropped by more than 30% over the past decade. To fix the problem, Morphew says, we can’t depend on signing bonuses, pressing veterans into classroom roles, and other temporary measures. What’s needed, Morphew says, is better training, ongoing coaching, and a focus on teacher well-being.
While some states are lowering standards to attract new teachers, others, like Maryland and Massachusetts, are looking at things differently: emphasizing stronger credentials, better pay, improved working conditions, and greater professionalism.
To put theory into practice in the university’s hometown of Baltimore, Morphew has challenged his school to create a new Master of Education program that provides four years of professional support following graduation, along with loan repayment assistance for graduates willing to commit to teaching in Baltimore City Public Schools for at least four years.
Known as TeachingWell—for its unique emphasis on teacher wellness and the deep well of teaching talent being developed—the program aims to reduce financial barriers for new educators and to strengthen their mental health and career resilience, all while raising professional standards.
“This is the right direction. What we want to avoid is a race-to-the-bottom mentality that lowers the professionalism of teachers,” says Morphew. “We should be doing exactly the opposite—boosting pay, boosting wellness, and boosting respect for the profession. That will put qualified teachers back into the classrooms.”
We should be… boosting pay, boosting wellness, and boosting respect for the profession. That will put qualified teachers back into the classrooms.
