How to Recruit Teachers in 2025


| by Hannah Sparling

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Effective teacher recruitment is essential to a school’s success. Every result — from school culture to student achievement — starts with recruiting high-quality teachers. 

But recruitment can be a challenge, especially as teacher shortages continue to plague schools and districts across the country. Data from the National Center for Education Statistics shows 64% of public schools reported a lack of qualified candidates applying for open teaching positions. And the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics is projecting an average of more than 200,000 open K-12 teaching jobs each year over the next decade. 

With stiff competition and a potentially smaller pool of applicants, below are 10 strategies to help you find and recruit good teachers in 2025.

Why Teacher Recruitment is Difficult 

Teaching is a wonderful career that offers the chance to make a meaningful impact on students, families, and entire communities. But it’s also a challenging job. Teachers as a whole are underpaid — only 15% of teachers said they are extremely satisfied with their pay, according to a recent survey from the Pew Research Center — and they also work long hours with, at times, minimal recognition.  

Add to that, enrollment in traditional teacher preparation programs is declining, which means schools need to look more and more at alternative methods of recruitment and training. It’s no longer enough to simply post an open job and wait for applications to come in. Schools and districts need to take a more proactive approach.

Teacher Recruitment Strategies that Work 

In the Job Posting Phase 

Write a detailed job description that allows candidates to clearly envision the role. Share the school’s mission and vision and provide clear information on salary and benefits. 

With hundreds of thousands of open teaching jobs every year in the U.S., a detailed job post will help you stand out. 

Share job openings on social media. Don’t wait for candidates to come to you via your school or district’s career page. Instead, share your open jobs as widely as you can, wherever you think potential candidates might be spending time. This could include Facebook, LinkedIn, Reddit, TikTok, and/or Instagram, to name just a few.  

Leverage your current teachers by inviting them to share open jobs with their networks. Make the process as easy as possible for them by providing all the information and links upfront.  

In the Interview Phase 

Give candidates access to current teachers to help them get a better feel for the school’s culture and whether it’s a good fit. Remember, you’re interviewing the candidate, but they’re also interviewing you. 

Move quickly and provide clear updates on the hiring process. If the process is dragging or a candidate is not getting timely updates, he or she is likely to move on to another opportunity. 

Be transparent about salary and benefits. Teachers need to understand exactly what they’ll be making and where and when they’ll have opportunities to increase their earnings. 

Talk with candidates about their long-term goals. They’re interviewing for a particular job, yes, but ideally you want them to build a long and meaningful career in your school or district. Help them envision that path.

In the Onboarding Phase 

Partner with a college or university for professional development or to help your teachers, particularly career changers, earn professional certifications. If you can cover Educator Preparation Program tuition for your career changers, great. If not, a partnership with a university is a great way to get them a discount.  

Pair new teachers with a mentor to help them settle comfortably into your school. This is important for any teacher, but especially career changers or other new teachers who may need more guidance.  

Schedule regular check-ins to see how your teachers are doing and what they need. Don’t wait until a teacher quits to ask what could be improved.

Partnering with Moreland to Increase Recruitment and Retention 

It’s long been a challenge to fill special-education teaching jobs, but Clayton County Public Schools in Georgia is tackling the issue through a partnership with Moreland University. To help recruit teachers and boost retention, CCPS partnered with Moreland’s TEACH-NOW Teacher Preparation Certificate Program, offering a faster, 9-month path to certification compared to traditional programs.  

For the 2024-25 school year, CCPS covered tuition for 36 special education teachers in exchange for a three-year commitment to the district. It’s a great incentive for teachers to take a job with CCPS, and it ensures retention and consistency in the teaching staff.


Moreland University partners with school districts across the country to help teachers earn professional certifications and master’s degrees.  

If more than 30 teachers in your district need a professional certification, Moreland will offer a discounted tuition rate.

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