VIRGINIA, USA — Administrators at local school divisions have spent the summer finding and onboarding educators in their ranks. However, their efforts are caught in the middle of a nationwide teacher shortage.
Across the U.S., applicant pools for teaching positions are generally slim, experts say. Fewer people want the job and more are resigning or retiring.
The ordeal was a longstanding issue prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has only exacerbated in recent years.
"I think we have to acknowledge we're expecting more from our educators each and every day," said President Dr. James Fedderman of the Virginia Education Association, a union made up of more than 40,000 teachers and school support professionals.
13News Now asked Fedderman what the state of teacher vacancies is in the Commonwealth. "It's very unsettling," he said.
Fedderman says educators seek respect and fair pay. He also explains why our area requires a significant rebound.
"Specifically, the Hampton Roads region had a teacher vacancy rate more than 50% higher than the statewide average in the last school year, which was 6.2% versus 3.9%."
Lawmakers are taking notice. U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D - Virginia) is championing the passage of the Preparing and Retaining Education Professionals or PREP Act.
The bipartisan legislation proposed aims to enhance training programs and increase diversity by tapping into talent at institutions like historically Black colleges and universities.
"Just doing the same thing we've always done is not necessarily going to solve this," said Kaine in July.
Locally, public school administrators turn to job fairs to boast benefits packages and in-house perks.
They're especially eager to fill critical shortage areas, including math, Spanish and special education.
Breaking down the needs of local school divisions
Virginia Beach:
Recruiters for Virginia Beach City Public Schools (VBCPS) are offering this incentive to those candidates.
"We've [...] been able to provide early commitment funds up to $5,000 for those critical shortage areas," said Anne Glenn-Zeljeznjak, coordinator for recruitment and retention at VBCPS.
As of August 9, Glenn-Zeljeznjak told 13News Now there are 68 teacher vacancies in the division. That breaks down to 44 full-time positions, seven part-time openings and 17 for special education.
"We want teachers who are certified or eligible to be certified here in the state of Virginia," Glenn-Zeljeznjak said. She furthermore explained administrators can help guide those eligible to apply for provisional teaching licensure.
Portsmouth:
Similar sentiments were shared by other local school divisions, like Portsmouth Public Schools (PPS) and Hampton City Schools (HCS).
PPS spokeswoman Lauren Nolasco reported roughly 50 teacher openings on August 16, which she noted is "in line with where we have been previously, but we are still actively recruiting for all positions."
Among other strategies, HCS spokeswoman Kellie Goral said they are focused on "growing [their] own staff."
"We are offering virtual appointments through TeachHampton.com to assist individuals (internal and external) in creating a custom path to license eligibility to include career switchers," Goral wrote in part to 13News Now.
As of August 9, Goral recorded 24 teacher vacancies or a nearly 99% staffing level at HCS.
Norfolk:
Across the water in Norfolk, the need is greater. There are 300 classroom teacher vacancies, Norfolk Public Schools (NPS) spokeswoman Amy Matzke-Fawcett told 13News Now.
Like the other school divisions, they continue to leverage recruitment efforts virtually and in person. They also offer a long list of bonuses, such as the “Happy You’re Here” new hire bonus and the “NPS believes in you bonus” for a classified employee who moves into a teaching position, according to Matzke-Fawcett.
At PPS, a number of possible available bonuses are offered, including for new teacher hires, military veterans and relocation.
Moreover, in anticipation of the 2023-2024 school year, Norfolk leaders raised the starting pay for teachers from $49,500 to $53,000. "These raises, on average, increase teacher salaries by 6.91% through a combination of a step raise and a cost-of-living adjustment," Matzke-Fawcett wrote in part to 13News Now.
Newport News:
As for Newport News Public Schools (NNPS), spokeswoman Michelle Price said there are 64 teacher vacancies, as of August 9.
"This year, our Human Resources Department has seen an increase of candidates applying and attending job fairs," Price added.
NNPS administrators attribute a "strategic staffing model" to their vacancy numbers. The model "incorporates a new teaching position called Associate Teacher, utilizing other external agency partnerships, and increasing our classroom supports," Price said.
Across the Seven Cities, administrators are also eager to fill other positions like for substitute teachers, bus assistants and custodians.