Teachers livestreaming to try and teach two classes at a time. Students cycling through four new teachers in one year. Teachers who have taught for decades, debating whether it’s worth it to return in August.
These are all situations Paul Farmer, president of the Monroe County Education Association, has recently seen as Monroe County wades through the teacher shortage.
Like schools around the country, the Monroe County Community School Corp. is struggling to fill teaching and support staff positions. There are still about 2,300 teaching positions posted on the Indiana Department of Education’s new online job board, and this doesn’t even include jobs at MCCSC.
As of July 25, the MCCSC had about 15 unfilled teaching positions and about 70 other open positions, from custodians to cooks to paraprofessionals, according to its employment page. About 40 positions were for special education paraprofessionals. The first day of class at MCCSC is Aug. 3.
The shortage is due to several factors, ranging from pay to political pressure, Farmer said.
“I don’t want to say that it’s just a common thing now … but it’s just not the same as what it used to be,” he said. “It’s not just teachers, it’s the whole educational profession, from bus drivers to cooks to paraprofessionals to teachers to administrators.”
Some open positions listed on the MCCSC’s employment page are filled but won’t be removed until the onboarding process is complete, Erin Stalbaum, MCCSC’s new assistant superintendent...
IBM reached a settlement with the federal government on Friday, agreeing to pay roughly $17 million to resolve allegations of illegal diversity, equity and inclusion practices. Acting Attorney Gen...