A couple of midwestern colleges are seeing what many other universities across the nation have been observing: a much smaller number of would-be teachers in recent years. Ball State University's Teacher College said the enrollment for the teacher prep program "has dropped 45 percent in the past decade." 

Faculty Purdue University at Fort Wayne (IPFW) reported that there are “600 undergrads in the Education Department. That number is the result of a significant enrollment decrease a couple years ago which staff credit to a state ruling which eliminated pay raises for teachers who earned master’s degrees."

Aside from missing out on the previous salary boost for a master's, students pointed to pressure in the wake of Common Core and No Child Left Behind demands being reasons why they are reluctant to pursue a teaching career.

Dr. Terri Swim, the Chair of Educational Studies at IPFW said that there might be a shortage of teachers to come but that may be only temporary. Swim saw an upside to shortage as well.

Those jobs typically in a shortage situation would come with higher pay.

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