Four-Day Work Weeks, Big Signing Bonuses And Paid Moving Expenses: See How Districts Across The U.S. Are Luring Subs, Special Ed Teachers

Four-Day Work Weeks, Big Signing Bonuses and Paid Moving Expenses: See How Districts Across the U.S. Are Luring Subs, Special Ed Teachers

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School administrators nationwide are facing the challenge of classrooms without permanent teachers and are implementing a variety of incentives, including financial rewards and unconventional measures, to address widespread vacancies.

Certain districts are offering substantial signing bonuses, while others are adopting four-day work weeks or simplifying the certification process for college students and other potential teaching candidates.

According to the National Bureau of Labor Statistics’ 2018 estimate, approximately 270,000 teachers would leave the profession annually until 2026. This forecast did not account for the impact of the pandemic on teacher retention and retirement. However, a 2020 survey of educators indicated that nearly one-third of teachers across the country were considering early retirement or leaving the profession due to the pandemic. Interestingly, recent job data from the bureau reveals that actual teacher turnover rates are similar to or lower than pre-pandemic levels. The alarming predictions of mass teacher exodus have not necessarily materialized.

Retirement and attrition rates vary significantly by county or state. For instance, Arizona saw around 200 more teachers leaving by the end of August 2020 compared to 2019 or 2018, while Minnesota experienced the opposite effect. The full extent of the pandemic’s impact on the teaching force is still not fully understood. However, it is evident that fewer adults are pursuing teacher residency programs and degrees.

The efforts of certain school and state leaders to fill current vacancies, particularly for special education and substitute teachers, highlight the urgent staffing needs faced by districts. These leaders are employing creative methods to meet those needs.

Across the country, there is a growing presence of accelerated licensure programs and alternatives for state teaching exams to rapidly address the demands of students. For example, Houston had over 400 teacher openings in mid-August, some of which may be filled by candidates still in the process of earning certifications.

Even in regions like metro Atlanta, where staff scarcity is not as severe, there is a $5,000 sign-on incentive for special education teachers. DeKalb County Schools in Greater Atlanta are also recruiting parents for full-time positions.

In the western states, a bill in Colorado aims to recruit high school students, former military personnel, and adjunct professors into teacher programs to transform the educator pipeline. Carson City Schools in Nevada will hire retired public employees to fill special education positions, while California is adopting a strategy of recruiting teachers from their hometowns, offering incentives for them to stay in-state for higher education or pursue teaching residencies in their home districts.

One superintendent in Texas views staffing challenges as a human capital issue rather than a financial one. To support schools’ pandemic recovery, unprecedented federal relief funds are being allocated to states. However, only a few states included teacher recruitment or retention strategies in their budget proposals. Nationally, the focus of the relief funds is primarily on expanding academic tutoring and mental health care.

The shortage of critical staff extends beyond the classroom, as many schools struggle to find bus drivers due to retirements or concerns about COVID-19 exposure. In Massachusetts, up to 250 National Guard service members will drive students to school, and Philadelphia school leaders are urging their governor to consider a similar approach. However, efforts to involve the National Guard in New York were rejected by Governor Kathy Hochul, as her team stated that school transportation was beyond their current scope.

In Chicago, where many drivers are leaving after the district’s staff vaccine mandate, families of students with disabilities were given just two days to find alternative transportation for the first day of school.

As the 2021-22 school year begins and quarantines remain a reality, students and families across the country are feeling the impact of the lack of essential staff.

Here are some of the ongoing efforts to recruit special education and substitute teachers:

Recruitment of Special Education Teachers

All states, except six, reported teacher shortages in special education during the 2020-21 school year.

Carson City Schools Superintendent Jose Delfin stated, "We do whatever it takes to find high-quality special education teachers for our district." The district deemed the labor shortage critical, enabling them to hire retired public employees.

Despite advocacy efforts to address the declining special education workforce, states like Alaska are only now establishing recruitment and retention task forces.

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Rewritten Text:

How New Orleans Schools Are Addressing Special Education Losses After the Spring Pandemic Shutdown — and How Distance Learning Could Improve in the Fall

Recruiting Substitute Teachers

According to the National Bureau of Labor Statistics, schools across the United States hire between 500,000 and 600,000 substitute teachers every year. However, school administrators in central Massachusetts have noticed a significant decline in substitute teacher applications. In smaller districts in California, where teachers are going into COVID-19 quarantines, the diminishing pool of substitute teachers could lead to school closures.

In Idaho, Governor Brad Little is urging workers throughout the state to step up and help fill the shortage of substitute teachers. He states, "I encourage Idahoans who are able to serve as substitute teachers or provide classroom support to contact their school district and sign up. Idaho students and our communities need you."

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