Client
City of Amsterdam
Challenge
Create new policy to address the significant teacher shortage, which risks compromising educational quality, particularly in high-need areas
Impact
Implementing the Lerarenagenda facilitated a noteworthy decline of 1/6th of the teacher shortages in the first year
Improving education through collaborative policy-making
Amsterdam’s education system was at a crossroads – facing a drastic shortage of teachers, affecting particularly disadvantaged areas. The city dealt with a complex web of challenges: high living costs deterred potential educators, while competitive career opportunities in other sectors lured them away. This teacher shortage not only compromised educational quality but amplified inequalities within the system.
The journey towards the Lerarenagenda began with a comprehensive analysis conducted with our support to identify the root causes of the teacher shortage. The team held focus groups and interviews with over 50 stakeholders, including educators, policymakers, and community leaders. After gathering these insights, we developed a strategic framework to address recruitment and retention. This collaborative process resulted in targeted incentives and support systems, which were formally outlined in the Lerarenagenda, setting a clear, actionable path forward.
The teacher shortage is a complex issue, but through the enthusiastic and professional guidance of Koos in the design process, the Lerarenagenda was shaped methodically, which better suits the desires and needs within the field of education.
Key policies to overcome teacher shortage
Three elements defined in the Lerarenagenda have been a big contributor to the decrease in the teacher shortage:
- The role of strong school leaders emerged as being paramount in tackling the teacher shortage. The measure defined in the Lerarenagenda to strengthen this role has received the most attention and funds. The user-centered approach taken was the main cause of this focus.
- The introduction of housing priority for teachers aimed to mitigate Amsterdam’s high living costs, making the city a more viable option for educators.
- Making the career path more competitive by working on growth plans and integrated development paths helped make teaching in the city more attractive, which ensured competitive career choices tailored to the educational sector’s needs.
Effectively closing the gap between children and teachers
The impact of these policies is evident in the significant reduction of unfilled teacher vacancies. Primary education decreased from 18.7% in 2023 to 15.5% in 2024. This number decreased even more at elementary schools in districts where education is needed most, Nieuw-West and Zuidoost. From 27.1% in 2023 to 20.5% in 2024. This means nearly a quarter of vacancies have been filled in one year.
“This decrease is a double win: more children now have a teacher, and we’ve retained our educators”, said Marjolein Moorman, alderman for Education at the city of Amsterdam, underscoring the success of the collaborative approach. The Lerarenagenda proved particularly effective in areas with the greatest need, where educational inequalities have begun to narrow.
Groundwork for a resilient educational framework
As Amsterdam looks into the future, plans are made to broaden these initiatives, further improving educational quality. This project ensures that the city can reach the forefront of educational innovation, setting a benchmark for other urbanised areas facing similar challenges.
