Jul. 20—The number of teachers licensed in New Hampshire ticked up slightly this year, ending a decade of steep declines in the ranks of teachers.
The state Department of Education counted the number of teachers renewing their three-year licenses this year and in 2021 and 2020, and estimated that there are more than 24,357 licensed teachers in the state. That's about 100 more licensed teachers than the state counted in the previous three-year cohort.
School districts reported somewhat more retirements than usual at the end of the 2021-22 school year, so it's not clear how many of those licensed teachers will be in schools this fall.
The state also reports schools are having an easier time finding teachers for different subject areas, though shortages persist.
In 2019, the "critical shortage list" of educators in short supply showed New Hampshire a shortage of teachers for nearly every subject at the middle and high school levels. The state didn't have enough educators who specialize in working with students with disabilities, and of math and literacy specialists who work with children trying to grasp the fundamentals.
If a school needed hire someone to teach a subject on the critical shortage list, they could turn to unlicensed educators. Teachers for shortage areas need to have a college degree, but can be hired with as few as two courses in the subject they will be hired to teach.
Over the last two years, 18 types of teaching licenses have been removed from the shortage list.
Science teachers are no longer in short supply. The state now has enough librarians, dance teachers and administrators of all stripes.
But New Hampshire is still lacking teachers of high school math, English, social studies, visual arts, Spanish and French, and business, among other subjects.