The Florida Department of Education has reported a 17.7% drop in teacher vacancies for the 2025-2026 school year compared to the previous year. This marks nearly a 30% reduction in vacancies over the past two years, according to data collected directly from school districts.
Commissioner of Education Anastasios Kamoutsas commented on the trend, stating, “Florida continues to attract the best teaching talent because we have raised teacher pay, empowered our teachers in the classroom and created new pathways for Floridians to enter the teaching profession. While the teachers unions use the same, tired tactics in an attempt to smear Florida’s education system, we are focused on providing our teachers with the tools they need to succeed, and the data show our approach is working. I am proud of the work Florida has done to dramatically reduce the number of vacancies across the state thanks to the policies Governor Ron DeSantis has championed.”
Since Governor Ron DeSantis assumed office, Florida has allocated more than $5.9 billion toward increasing pay for teachers and instructional staff. The state has also introduced additional ways for qualified individuals to become teachers. The Teacher Apprenticeship Program currently provides on-the-job training for over 80 participants under veteran educators while they work toward certification; nearly 500 people have applied to join this initiative.
Florida’s Military Veterans Certification Pathway allows military veterans to begin teaching with a temporary certificate while completing requirements for full certification. More than 100 veterans have started their teaching careers through this pathway and almost 700 have applied.
