A new school year is getting ready to begin for most Districts in the area. With many schools getting started in the next week. We take a look at where they stand with filling Teacher positions.
School parking lots are starting to see a little more traffic during the day, but soon it will be filled as a new school year begins. Teachers are one of the most important assets of a school and with a well documented Teacher shortage, how are schools looking to start the year?
Brad Hatch – Superintendent of Altoona Area School District saying: “In terms of the overall market I would say that it’s recovering a little bit. I can tell you from a local standpoint, we are seeing more and more qualified and certified applicants for available positions within the School District.”
Officials from several schools in the area tell me they have filled their full-time Teacher jobs and are thankful to have done so. Some School Officials do say they’re still looking to fill positions like Substitutes and Teacher Assistants.
Even for schools that do have spots filled, Officials say it isn’t easy, especially compared to 10 or 15 years ago. Krista Mathias – Superintendent of Somerset Area School District saying: “Hundreds actually of applications for a teaching position, and that’s certainly not the case at this time. We have maybe anywhere from two or three to maybe 20 applications maximum for a teaching position and I don’t think that’s uncommon in our area.” Especially for certain positions. Arnold Nadonley, the Superintendent of Richland School District saying: “We had to hire a Technology Education Teacher and the pool was not good as far as being large like it used to be.”
Superintendent Hatch saying: “Pretty much every School District in the area is advertising for Special Education Teachers.” They say Math and Science candidates can also be difficult to find. Of course, pay is one reason for the lack of people going into the field and one Superintendent says there’s another similar reason.
Superintendent Nadonley adding: “I think a major impact, and some don’t want to admit it, it the retirement. The retirement system has changed over the last 10 years or so. For Teachers that were in the system back when I started 36 years ago, you work 35 years and you get a very nice retirement package. Now to get that same retirement, a teacher would have to work 70 years, and that’s just not going to happen.”
