There are a number of issues contributing to the shortage of competent teachers, some of which are addressed in either this post or in the linked post and its c

There are a number of issues contributing to the shortage of competent teachers, some of which are addressed in either this post or in the linked post and its comments [0]: - teaching certificates don't necessarily have adequate testing built in. Teachers can go through the programs without learning the material. - teaching certificates don't always teach the necessary material. Teachers can get into a classroom setting without even taking a course covering the mathematics they'll be expected to teach. - teaching certificates take extra time and money to acquire, and are often required even for those with education degrees. My sister has a B.S. in elementary education, but her local school district won't let her teach unless she goes through a certification program too. I have an M.S. in applied mathematics, and was told the same -- despite a massive shortage of math teachers. - teaching doesn't pay all that well, the schedule is brutal for about 9.5 months of the year, and issues like class size and lack of supplies add to the stress. - many school environments are extremely unfriendly to teachers with certain political leanings. When I was a classroom assistant, I was warned to hide my political views, and berated for views one teacher assumed I held. This is not the norm, but it's much more common than it should be. The net result is that many who go through teacher training aren't competent, and many competent people who would like to teach get turned away for unnecessary reasons. [0] https://www.learnboost.com/upcoming-teacher-crisis/ https://www.learnboost.com/upcoming-teacher-crisis/