In partnership with TEACH.org and One Million teachers of Color, The U.S. Department of education launched the “Teachers: Leaders Shaping Lives” campaign. The campaign features a Public Service Announcement (PSA) developed to “inspire more talented people—especially those from underrepresented communities—to become teachers, while also elevating the teaching profession and celebrating our teachers,” the press release stated.
The PSA press release also touts a rebound in local public education employment. At the height of the pandemic, there were 730,000, or 9 percent, fewer local public education employees than before the pandemic. The DOE is reporting there are only 0.17 percent fewer employees in the sector compared to four years ago. In a sense, educator employment is now roughly at the same levels as October 2019–the last pre-pandemic beginning of a school year.