Despite gradual improvement in statewide teacher shortages, hard-to-staff schools and subjects continue to face persistent gaps, making it challenging for many students to have access to stable classrooms and high-quality instruction. In 2025, state leaders took meaningful and strategic steps to strengthen the teaching profession—steps focused on attracting new educators, retaining effective teachers and building school environments where both teachers and students can thrive.
This overview summarizes state policy actions from state lawmakers in Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Texas that are shaping the future of the teaching profession. These efforts mirror broader national trends toward comprehensive, evidence-based strategies to support educators at every stage of their career.
Teacher quality remains the most significant in-school drivers of student achievement. To build strong pipelines and reduce turnover, state leaders are pursuing four key strategies:
By streamlining pathways for educators entering the profession, identifying and rewarding high-performing teachers and ensuring candidates learn the skills needed to be ready on day one, state leaders can better meet workforce challenges and ensure quality educators remain in the classroom.
Alabama
With the signature of Gov. Kay Ivey, Sen. Vivian Figures and Rep. Ginny Shaver’s SB 199 grants up to eight weeks of paid parental leave for female state and education employees, two weeks for male employees and up to eight weeks for adoptive parents of children three years or younger.
The bipartisan policy, funded by the state budget, supports Alabama’s educators and public servants during critical family moments, helping attract and retain talent and maintain workforce stability.
Florida
Florida lawmakers improved the teacher pipeline with the passage of HB 875, which requires the use of high-quality instructional materials and will improve the teacher pipeline by aligning educator preparation programs with evidence-based reading and math practices. The bill also simplified alternative pathways into the profession to ensure more qualified teachers enter the classroom. Flexible, clear entry routes help districts address shortages while maintaining the high standards students and communities expect.
Indiana
Indiana passed a series of major teacher pipeline-strengthening measures with Sen. Linda Rogers’ SB 146. Key components include:
Indiana’s approach combines competitive compensation with high-quality teacher prep and accountability, helping the state build a sustainable and effective educator workforce.
Oklahoma
Oklahoma legislators advanced several policies to grow and strengthen local teacher pipelines:
These policies create multiple flexible pathways into the teaching profession, meeting schools’ workforce needs while maintaining quality standards.
South Carolina
South Carolina lawmakers advanced key recommendations from the South Carolina Department of Education’s Strategic Talent Acquisition and Retention (START) Taskforce Report, building on a major statewide effort to strengthen the educator workforce. Key policies include:
South Carolina’s multi-pronged approach reflects a national model, one that values quality, expands thoughtful flexibility and leverages teacher expertise to keep classrooms strong.
Tennessee
To address staffing shortages, Tennessee lawmakers revised teacher licensure rules in SB 1311 to prioritize the placement of certified teachers in classrooms and create new pathways for prospective educators. These policies will help districts fill vacancies and ensure students are taught by effective, well-prepared professionals.
This legislative win supports Tennessee’s long-term strategy to build a robust educator pipeline and elevate the teaching profession statewide.
Thanks to bold leadership in these six states, roughly 161,000 educators will see improved benefits, supports and incentives.
Looking ahead to 2026, state policymakers are expected to:
Explore educator-focused policy solutions from our sister organization, ExcelinEd, including the newly launched State Educator Preparation Provider Report Card, which can be customized to reflect context in any state.
Season 2, episode 6 of ExcelinEd’s podcast, Policy Changes Lives, unpacks how states can raise the bar on educator preparation: ExcelinEd Senior Policy Director Justine Morina hosts Megan Comb, Executive Director of the Wheelock Educational Policy Center at Boston University.
Listen to ExcelinEd in Action’s podcast, Statehouse Spotlights. In season two, episode 16, I sit down with Sens. Ally Seifried and Adam Pugh to chat about Oklahoma teacher pipeline legislation and the state’s ambitious legislative push to strengthen its teacher workforce.
Read more from this blog series where we summarize which states took action on key policy trends reshaping K-12 education across the country.
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