President Joe Biden agreed a couple of weeks ago to work with job search companies to fill shortages across the nation, but recent research and analysis, including by USA Today, is revealing that today’s teacher shortage is related to vacancies from before the COVID-19 pandemic.
Vacancies are also primarily in schools that serve large percentages of nonwhite students or children living in poverty, and another study concluded that widespread shortages of nonteaching personnel exist, especially for bus drivers and custodians.
Miranda Ball, Augusta County Schools Executive Director of Communications & Administrative Services, said the school system began the 2022-2023 school year with all teaching positions filled. Several long-term substitute teachers and provisionally licensed teachers provide instruction for students.
“We are confident in the abilities of these educators to provide high-quality instruction to our students. All of our teachers are supported by our Instructional Supervisors, Instructional Coaches, and Instructional Technology Resource Teachers. These professionals provide differentiated support to our less experienced instructors throughout the school year,” Ball said.
Current vacancies with Augusta County Schools include “teaching positions that are temporarily filled by long-term substitutes with the intention of hiring licensed teachers to permanently fill the vacancy. We also have a few instructional aide positions that principals are still in the process of hiring to reach more ideal support staffing levels. Vacancies such as these are not atypical for early in a school year.”
“Here in Waynesboro, we have been able to recruit teachers for our classrooms,” said Waynesboro Schools Assistant Superintendent Dr. Ryan Barber.
The school system is fully staffed at all four elementary schools and Wayne Hills Preschool Center, but a couple of openings remain at Kate Collins Middle School. At the middle school, Barber said staff took on extra classes until the openings can be filled.
“It’s been hard to find math teachers,” he said. Filling foreign language teaching positions is also a challenge.
Also at the middle school, several teachers are out on maternity or paternity leave.
“I’ve got candidates for the jobs, it’s just getting them here,” Barber said.
He said that after the 2022-2023 school year began, he made more progress in filling positions. An Earth Science position at Waynesboro High School was filled with a teacher already at the school, and for second semester Barber will find a new hire.
The school system still needs bus drivers.
“We’ve actually done pretty well with staffing,” Barber said of the new school year. Barber began hiring in December 2021 for positions anticipated to be open this school year.
Applicants with Waynesboro Schools mention an improved pay scale for their interest in the school system, according to Barber.
“Also, we’re proud of our work environments. We’ve got positive work environments,” he said. As well as a supportive community in the River City.
Thanks to the city’s budget, the school system was able to decrease class size this school year. Usually kindergarten classes include 24 or 25 students, but this year 14 or 15 students are in each class. Waynesboro School Board has been supportive of decreasing class size.
While Waynesboro is not affected this school year by a teacher shortage, the school system has had challenges in recent years, and Barber said that universities are not graduating as many teachers now.
Waynesboro Schools has several instructional assistants attending classes now for their teaching licenses, and the school system encourages their educational pursuits. Barber said they live in Waynesboro and their children attend Waynesboro Schools, so why not have them teach in Waynesboro?
“It’s a long-term investment in them and in our communities,” Barber said of creating homegrown teachers.
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Rebecca Barnabi
