Pennsylvania faces a critical shortage of teachers, and PA Needs Teachers is leading the effort to alleviate the crisis. Our work has garnered significant earned media coverage throughout Pennsylvania and helped them achieve their goals.
Fitler Square Strategies has worked with PA Needs Teachers to elevate the issue of teacher shortages and promote solutions - like student-teacher stipends, a program that successfully got into the 2023-2024 Pennsylvania budget.
We've had an aggressive communications strategy with a focus on earned media.
We've built and held multi-purpose roundtables that bring together experts, students, advocates, and legislators to build our coalition, gain earned media, and garner legislative support.
In the last few months, we've brought the issue of teacher shortages as well as solutions to the crisis to local communities, securing significant media coverage and attention while growing our coalitions.
We also held a rally in Harrisburg that brought the issue of teacher shortages to our legislators' doorstep.
Additionally, PA Needs Teacher authored and released a report that quantified the severity of teacher shortages in every county in Pennsylvania.
Through the roundtables, rallies, and reports, PA Needs Teachers has raised awareness and secured significant media coverage, amplifying their message and mobilizing support across the commonwealth.
PA Needs Teachers has captured major media outlets' attention, bringing the teacher shortage crisis to the forefront of public discourse.
Here are five examples of media hits PA Needs Teachers have received in the last few months.
CBS News Pittsburgh
In a detailed roundtable discussion, CBS News Pittsburgh delved into the challenges of filling teacher positions in Pennsylvania. The segment featured key insights from PA Needs Teachers, highlighting their efforts to recruit and retain educators. The discussion provided a platform for the organization to outline potential solutions and underscore the issue's urgency. You can watch the full coverage here.
Indiana Gazette
The Indiana Gazette published an in-depth article on a recent roundtable organized by PA Needs Teachers. At the roundtable, community leaders, educators, and stakeholders discussed teacher shortages. Read the full article here.
WGAL
WGAL provided extensive coverage of a roundtable discussion at Millersville University hosted by PA Needs Teachers. The discussion brought educators and policymakers together to discuss actionable solutions. Watch the coverage here.
Tribune-Review
The Tribune-Review reported on PA Needs Teachers' approach to combating the teacher shortage. The article detailed the organization’s advocacy efforts, community outreach, and partnerships with educational institutions. Read more here.
The Philadelphia Inquirer
The Philadelphia Inquirer published a lengthy article discussing the severity and causes of the teacher shortage in Philadelphia based on a report from PA Needs Teachers. The coverage highlighted the systemic issues contributing to the crisis and potential solutions to the teacher shortage crisis. Read the full article here.
The Impact of Earned Media
PA Needs Teachers has received widespread earned media coverage that has helped them achieve three key goals:
Raise Awareness: The events and media coverage have brought the teacher shortage issue to the attention of the public and policymakers.
Mobilize Support: Our roundtables have helped build coalitions and engage community leaders, educators, and advocates.
Influence Policy: The significant earned media attention from the events and the presence of lawmakers at the events have highlighted the need for solutions to the teacher shortages crisis.
PA Needs Teachers continues to be a driving force in fixing Pennsylvania’s teacher shortage. Our success in gaining media coverage has raised the profile of the issue and created attention for solutions. The roundtables and events have also been important organizing and coalition-building tools.
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