Small urban counties see rise in alternative teacher hires as rural, large urban counties decline
While schools in rural and large urban counties reduced their reliance on nontraditional teacher hires in 2025–26, schools in small urban counties moved in the opposite direction. As small urban counties relied more on hiring teachers without full qualifications, they left fewer positions vacant.
Line chart showing the percentage of teaching positions filled by alternative means, rather than a standard certified teacher, across three county types from 2023–24 to 2025–26. Rural counties decrease steadily from about 17.5% in 2023–24 to 11% in 2025–26. Large urban counties also decline, from roughly 16% to just under 10% over the same period. Small urban counties drop from about 13% to around 9.5% in 2024–25, then rise again to approximately 12.5% in 2025–26. Overall, rural and large urban counties trend downward, while small urban counties increase in the final year.
