Does Training Teachers Locally Affect Teacher Shortages? Evidence from Regional Public Universities

Greg Howard and Russell Weinstein ()
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Russell Weinstein: University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

No 18572, IZA Discussion Papers from IZA Network @ LISER

Abstract: We study whether training teachers locally increases nearby teacher supply. We use the historical assignment of normal schools and insane asylums to identify the effect of university proximity. Normal schools, built to train teachers, became regional universities while asylums mostly continue as small psychiatric facilities. Our evidence suggests greater teacher supply in normal school counties: lower teacher wages and more teachers per student. Asylum counties have more teachers with emergency credentials and fewer who majored in education - suggesting they mitigate lower supply by hiring in different pools. Normal school counties have higher high school test scores and graduation rates.

Keywords: teacher shortages; regional universities; teacher training; geographic frictions in the labor market (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I2 J31 J61 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026-04
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