Southwest
Nationwide teacher shortages leave school districts relying on alternative solutions
MESA, Ariz. – Districts nationwide are shortening school weeks and packing more students into classrooms because there aren’t enough teachers. Arizona is just one state where almost a quarter of their teaching jobs are consistently vacant.
School districts are fighting to fill some of those jobs in Arizona and half of the time they are filled by people who aren’t properly certified.
Representatives for school districts in the Phoenix-area say they’ve been feeling this shortage for almost a decade, and there’s no end in sight.
School districts in Arizona have felt the teacher shortage for almost a decade. (Littleton School District)
“Do I want to pay off my student loans? Yes. Would I like to take a vacation? Yes. Do I not want to work every summer without fail or every winter break to pay my bills? Am I living paycheck to paycheck? Yeah,” said Littleton School District new teacher mentor Cassandra Lockard.
Cassandra Lockard taught for 16 years, but she says on a teacher’s low salary, she’ll probably never be able to pay off her debt.
Arizona needed 7,500 teachers at the start of last school year. (Littleton School District)
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Lockard is certified to teach history, but last year, she had to step up and teach science to 55 students.
“It was intense. Did they pass the state science test? No, no they didn’t, because how am I going to get 55 kids on my own to pass the state’s science test? I am not currently certified, you know, in being a science teacher,” said Lockard.
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Some states where more than half their school districts have a tough time filling school vacancies include Nevada, Arizona, Illinois, Florida and Michigan.
At the start of the last school year, Arizona needed about 7,500 teachers still. The state relies on uncertified teachers to fill the void.
About 20-25% of teacher positions remain vacant annually in Arizona. (Mesa Public Schools)
“When you have a teacher shortage, you have teachers that are not as qualified. And then you see, in many cases, a correlating decline in data, which is a concern for everybody. Oh, the kids aren’t doing so well. Well, if you’re not going to pay us, and you can’t find anybody to put in the classroom, data is going to drop. That’s a given,” said Lockard.
As one solution to lessening the shortage, some school districts have created an alternative route to become teachers.
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“Out of those 7,500, about 4,000 of them were filled by alternative means. Alternative means they were on an alternative pathway, a change of career. So they may be in the business setting, or they got a college degree in another field,” said Mesa Public Schools Assistant Superintendent of HR Justin Wing.
Mesa Public Schools have an alternative pathway for individuals to become teachers. (Mesa Public Schools)
Wing says this pathway removes financial and time barriers for individuals who want to become teachers.
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“We’re in our second year of hosting our own certification program. So if you have a degree in another field, you can be a teacher tomorrow. And we’re going to heavily invest in you and support you to be the best teacher possible. And after you complete our two-year program, now you have all the teacher credentials,” said Wing. “The Arizona Department of Education will be giving them a full teacher certificate, a 12-year teacher certificate.”
School districts around the country are also hiring internationally to help with the teacher shortage.
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A former Riverside County man was found guilty of sex trafficking a female victim and forcing her to engage in commercial sex acts along L.A.’s notorious Figueroa Corridor.
Elias Abdul Shabazz, 34, formerly of Perris, was found guilty by a jury following a five-day trial, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
Prosecutors said Shabazz had led the victim to believe they were in a romantic relationship before he turned physically and sexually violent. He began demanding that the victim engage in commercial sex acts from May to October of 2021, court documents said.
He carried a handgun with him and, on occasion, was accused of using it to pistol-whip the victim. He also fired the gun at her feet while threatening to kill her, prosecutors said.
At trial, the victim said Shabazz demanded that she meet a daily quota of commercial sex proceeds and that she was terrified of the consequences of not meeting that quota.
She testified that Shabazz compelled her to work in the notorious Figueroa Corridor in South L.A., a dangerous area known for human trafficking and prostitution.
Shabazz had confiscated her identification card, Social Security card and birth certificate. He constantly monitored her cell phone to stop her from communicating with any friends or family.
“He also introduced her to addictive narcotics and controlled every aspect of her life, including when she ate, slept and showered,” prosecutors said.
In May 2025, Shabazz was arrested and has remained in federal custody. His last known address at the time was in Washington, D.C.
On June 26, 2026, Shabazz was found guilty of one count of coercing or enticing interstate transportation for purposes of prostitution.
A sentencing hearing is scheduled for Oct. 6, where he faces 15 years to life in prison.
“Sex trafficking matters rank among the most tragic cases our office prosecutes,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli. “This defendant will now face many years in a federal prison cell for his sick, disgusting, and disturbing behavior.”
“Elias Shabazz preyed on a vulnerable victim using physical and sexual violence and cruel psychological coercion to compel commercial sex acts for his own profit,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “There is no place for this type of conduct in civilized society. We deeply respect the victim’s courage to face her trafficker in court. The Criminal Division will continue to bring these cases and try them.”
Anyone with information about human trafficking can report tips to the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 888-373-7888
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