As part of a federal requirement, the Maine Department of Education submits to the U.S. Department of Education teacher shortage areas for designation, based on collected data and public input. The U.S. DOE annually designates teacher shortage areas for purposes of deferment of loan repayments or reductions of teaching obligation.
The Department intends to propose the following as K-12 teacher shortage areas during the 2021-2022 school year:
- Early Elementary (K-3)
- Early Childhood (Pre-K)
- English/Language Arts (7-12)
- Social Studies (7-12)
- Teacher of Students with Disabilities (all grade levels)
- Mathematics (7-12)
- Physical Science (7-12)
- Spanish (PK-12)
- Physical Education (PK-12)
- Health (PK-12)
- Visual Arts (PK-12)
- English – Second Language (PK-12)
The Maine Department of Education is committed to working with our schools to most accurately represent the needs and shortage areas across our state. We recognize the diverse geographic regions and varying conditions that comprise our public education system and strive for equitable and accurate representation.
To provide input regarding a specific shortage area, or to propose additional shortage areas, please submit correspondence to Stephanie Fyfe at stephanie.fyfe@maine.gov within 10 days of this notice.