17 minAug 28, 2024

Why Are So Many Pennsylvania Teachers Quitting?

Show Notes

As students return to school, Pennsylvania is still facing a dire teacher shortage, and experts say there aren’t enough qualified candidates to replace everyone who’s quit or moved away. We teamed up with City Cast Philly to unpack the problem, causes, and consequences — plus, share our take on a few potential solutions.

**This episode originally published August 28, 2023.

We always cite our sources:

Check out PA’s teacher retention data for yourself, courtesy of Penn State’s Center for Education Evaluation and Policy Analysis.
Chalkbeat did a great two-part breakdown on the problems and potential solutions.
The Learning Policy Institute shared suggestions for how to improve teachers’ first years.
The Hechinger Report wrote about a couple PR campaigns trying to change public opinion about teaching.
The Center for Black Educator Development is based in Philly and does a lot of great work around recruiting teachers of color.
Ten years ago, it wasn’t uncommon to see 3,000 to 4,000 applicants pop up for a single job listing on PA-educator.net, the PA’s main jobs board.

Learn more about the sponsors of this August 28th episode:

Pittsburgh Cultural Trust

Pittsburgh Recovery Walk

Airport Corridor Transportation Association

Become a member of City Cast Pittsburgh at membership.citycast.fm.

Want more Pittsburgh news?

Sign up for our daily morning Hey Pittsburgh newsletter.
We’re on Instagram @CityCastPgh.
Text or leave us a voicemail at 412-212-8893.

Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info here.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Recent EpisodesSee all

Riverfront Trails Expand, Exercise for Beginners & Tim Burton Takeover

29 minSep 29, 2026

Have you ever been enjoying a bike ride along the riverfront, only for the trail to end abruptly? Good news! The city is planning to close some longstanding gaps along the Three Rivers Heritage Trail. Host Megan Harris, executive producer Mallory Falk, and creative producer Boen Wang explain which sections are getting extended (including a particularly harrowing stretch between the Strip District and Lawrenceville) and what it all has to do with a railroad company. Plus, we share beginner tips and tricks for braving the hills and exercising outdoors in Pittsburgh and recommend some events for the week ahead, including a trip into the Tim Burton-verse and storytime for adults. Notes and references from today’s show: “City partners with CSX to connect, expand Three Rivers Heritage Trail” [🔒 Post-Gazette ] Map of proposed trail projects [ Friends of the Riverfront ] “Restaurants, Party Barges & Bathrooms on the Riverfront” [ City Cast Pittsburgh ] “Bike Pittsburgh's Best Kept Secrets” [ City Cast Pittsburgh ] “Adam Voith Author Visit” on Sept. 30 [ Poetry Lounge ] “ Week Without Driving ” from Oct. 1-8 “House of Burton” from Oct. 1-31 [ Mixtape ] 👋 Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 412-212-8893 or email [email protected]. We’re also on Instagram !  💌 You can get more Pittsburgh news delivered right to your inbox by subscribing to the City Cast Pittsburgh morning newsletter .  🏡 Get more from City Cast Pittsburgh when you become a City Cast Pittsburgh Neighbor. You’ll enjoy perks like ad-free listening, invitations to members-only events, and more. Join the City Cast Pittsburgh Neighbors program! 🥁 Looking to advertise on City Cast Pittsburgh? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads .  Learn more about the sponsors of this Tuesday, September 29th episode: The Frick Pittsburgh P3R Pittsburgh Opera Visit Athens Ohio

Create Your Own Pittsburgh Food Tour

17 minSep 28, 2026

Looking for your next fall getaway? What about a curated road trip with lots of tasty stops and local history? Our state's tourism site includes six official culinary trails with themes like maple, bread, and charcuterie. Food historian Mary Miller, the mastermind behind several of our state trails, joins host Megan Harris to share her inspiration and offer tips for designing your own food crawl, tour, or trail. 👋 Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 412-212-8893 or email [email protected]. We’re also on Instagram !  💌 You can get more Pittsburgh news delivered right to your inbox by subscribing to the City Cast Pittsburgh morning newsletter .  🏡 Get more from City Cast Pittsburgh when you become a City Cast Pittsburgh Neighbor. You’ll enjoy perks like ad-free listening, invitations to members-only events, and more. Join the City Cast Pittsburgh Neighbors program! 🥁 Looking to advertise on City Cast Pittsburgh? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads .  Learn more about the sponsors of this Monday, September 28th episode: Carnegie Library The Frick Pittsburgh P3R Pittsburgh Opera Visit Athens Ohio

‘Your City Could Be Better’: How One Oregon City is Lowering Energy Costs — Presented By City Cast Pittsburgh

17 minSep 27, 2026

What’s a seemingly small project in Pittsburgh that’s made a big difference? In the Oregon suburb of Tualatin, a drinking water pipe has just been fitted with a seamless electrical turbine, so that an existing utility can now have a dual purpose. David is joined by Nic Westendorf, Tualatin’s deputy public works director, to talk about the power of thinking local, using existing tools, and looking ahead to a sustainable future to inform what we do today. Is there something your city is doing that we should be talking about? Email David now!  We’re also on Instagram: @yourcitycouldbebetter Looking to advertise on Your City Could Be Better? Check out our options .

UPMC Yields to Trump, County Bans Big Data Centers & Goodbye Millennial Gray?

31 minSep 25, 2026

UPMC just placed a decade-long moratorium on gender-affirming care for patients under 19 and agreed to pay the federal government $950,000 as part of a settlement with the Department of Justice. Host Megan Harris is with City Cast contributors Sophia Lo and Colin Williams to talk about what comes next. Plus, we're debating whether Pittsburgh Paint Company's 2027 color of the year truly counts as a departure from Millennial Gray, discussing a new ban on large-scale data centers on county property, and bemoaning the influencer stunt that led the Star Wars vending machine on a cross-country journey. And in our members-only bonus segment, Colin shares what he learned about the future of journalism on a recent trip to Germany — and the successes that could be duplicated here in Pittsburgh. Notes and references from today’s show: UPMC to pay DOJ nearly $1M, agrees to 10-year moratorium on gender-affirming care for trans youth [ WESA ] Under pressure from Trump, UPMC canceled a trans patient's scheduled top surgery [ City Paper ] Pittsburgh Paints' 2027 Color of the Year calls for homeowners to 'recalibrate' [ WESA ] Sophia's Color Swatches A Behind-the-Scenes Look at How PPG Paints Decides Its Color of the Year [ Architectural Digest ] Orange Era [ n+1 ] Allegheny County Council unanimously bans large data centers on county property [ TribLive ] Pa. approves steep rate hikes for 2027 Pennie health insurance plans [ TribLive ] "Star Wars" vending machine visits Los Angeles [ Axios Pittsburgh ] 👋 Wanna talk to us about an episode? Leave us a voicemail at 412-212-8893 or email [email protected]. We’re also on Instagram !  💌 You can get more Pittsburgh news delivered right to your inbox by subscribing to the City Cast Pittsburgh morning newsletter .  🏡 Get more from City Cast Pittsburgh when you become a City Cast Pittsburgh Neighbor. You’ll enjoy perks like ad-free listening, invitations to members-only events, and more. Join the City Cast Pittsburgh Neighbors program! 🥁 Looking to advertise on City Cast Pittsburgh? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads .  Learn more about the sponsors of this Friday, September 25th episode: Carnegie Library The Frick Pittsburgh Hazelwood Local