Minimizing Music Teacher Shortage in Public School in the U.S.

Abstract

With the progress of society, people are paying increased attention to the development of education, including music education. However, every year in the United States, about half a million music teaching jobs remain vacant. The U.S. Department of Education has sought to change this by hiring new music teachers and finding ways to retain the best music teachers. Nevertheless, every school should know what factors are essential for music teachers. Recent studies have shown that pre-service music teachers think that administrative support, parental and community support, and program sustainability are the most critical factors. Students' socioeconomic status and the racial composition of students are the least important factors when new music teachers consider the job. However, these studies do not offer solutions to solve the shortage of music teachers. Therefore, the purpose of this research paper is to explore possible solutions to the problem of the shortage of music teachers in the United States. The prelimi-nary results of this study reveal that the problem of music teacher shortage can be solved by administrative, community, and government support.