PITTSBURGH —

Schools across Pennsylvania are staring at a critical teacher shortage, so alarming that many schools started off the year using teacher aides to fill in, according to the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE).

"The teacher shortage is so significant that many classrooms are starting the year with what we call an emergency credentialed educator," says Diana Rogers-Adkinson, Senior Vice Chancellor for PASHEE. "They are not a fully trained and licensed teacher." Advertisement

Filling those vacant teacher positions is equally alarming, with a 40 percent drop in the training pipeline in state universities.

PASHEE oversees 10 state-owned universities and has developed a strategy for all 10 schools to aggressively recruit professionals to enter teaching program

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