In 2022, the United States faces a monumental teacher shortage. McMurdock (2022) quotes an estimated 36,504 full time teaching positions are unfilled, with another 163,650 positions filled by underqualified individuals or those teaching outside of their field of study. Although this figure falls short of the 53% of all schools facing shortages reported by the National Education Association (NEA) as understaffed, it is a figure of consequence for educators and schools (Walker, 2022). NEA also reports 55% of those in teaching and educational support positions have thoughts of leaving the profession earlier than planned. In 2018, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in conducted their Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) found similar results in the that 14% of teachers aged 50 years or less, stated their desire to leave the profession within the next five years. Teacher shortages have been documented for over a decade with enrollment in teacher education programs dropping, teacher attrition rates climbing, and the pandemic exacerbating multiple issues including early retirements. Researchers have looked for ways to protect the stability of the workforce in education by looking for ways to address issues voiced by teachers, as causes for burnout and leaving the profession. OECD-TALIS (2018) asked teachers to comment of how to address workplace issues. Overall, teachers stated the need for more training to increase competencies required for the 21st century classroom.

The aim of this special issue is to explore the practices of teacher educators and teacher education preparation programs that contribute to building resiliency in teacher candidates that will translate to higher levels of retention in the education workforce. Ways in which to combat the negative impact of social media, to withstand outside attacks on classroom practices, and to become advocates for positive collaboration with parents/guardians, communities, and policymakers will be offered.

The subjects of this special issue will include instructional design, 21st century classroom teacher competencies, K-12 curriculum content, and teacher education preparation programs’ changes in addressing the challenges of 2020s and beyond.