But nowhere near enough college students are training now for teaching jobs. Last year, about 3,400 students completed undergraduate education programs in North Carolina, and about two-thirds of them wound up teaching in state public schools within one year of graduation, according to the Institute of Higher Education Performance Report. School administrators say they're working hard to make sure the shortage doesn't affect teaching quality. But they find themselves hiring more teachers who have only conditional licenses to teach. As of February, the state counted 5,677 public school employees with nontraditional teaching licenses.
Educators are fond of saying no one goes into teaching for the money.
But in some areas, a teacher's salary can look measly compared to wages for other occupations. Local salary supplements vary widely. John Poteat, research director for the Public School Forum of North Carolina, compared the competition that results from disparities in supplements statewide to an arms race. Tony Stewart appears to be the kind of teacher most school districts would like to keep for a long time. This is his first year teaching biology and physical sciences at Clayton High School.