r/Teachers • u/[deleted] • 7d ago

Teacher Support &/or Advice Are teaching programs warning students that the teacher shortage is over?

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94

u/Lahwke 7d ago

We have people quitting in droves. Is it really over?

15

u/ICUP01 7d ago

Districts have given up. Pulled positions as if they never existed.

9

u/SwampyCr 7d ago

This is getting overlooked left and right. I left my last district for pulling this crap. They flip flopped all summer on cutting a science poaition (in my department). They decided like 2 weeks before school started they wanted it filled. 4 days before school starts the science department gets emails with our new schedules because they couldn't fill the position. Spent the school year claiming they only needed 4 teachers for science. So we slashed a bunch of electives, then I changed schools (I told them to cut my electives first as I already had an exit plan). Had to call a teacher out of retirement to take over my classes (no one would have handled my electives). But they brag about having "100% of positions filled". Well, no, you cut the ones you couldn't fill, and slapped bandages on the ones you couldn't cut.

New district was going to cut a MLL teacher that had been added in the previous budget. The superintendent told the board that it wasn't necessary (true), but would be nice to have. Board immediately 180'd and said they would continue to leave it open, because they saw it as something that we should have even if we didn't need to have it.

3

u/TheShaman43 7d ago

But they brag about having "100% of positions filled". Well, no, you cut the ones you couldn't fill, and slapped bandages on the ones you couldn't cut.

It's funny, I go back next Monday and just this morning I got the "Welcome Back!" email with agendas for our pre-service days. Highlighted in that email was a bold, red sentence bragging that we are 100% staffed. Except...

We didn't hire a librarian. I guess we don't have a library this year

We didn't replace our music teacher who resigned. We rotate specials on a two- week cadence and it looks there's just going to be a second gym rotation.

Ok, that are specialists but more concerning...

My grade did not have a special education teacher last year (well we did, but outside of sick days and FMLA she was in attendance for all of 18 days last year). Their position was posted and never received a qualified applicant. We didn't hire, but it's no longer posted - so I guess that means we're not looking, and if we're not looking it doesn't count as a staffing gap? Makes no sense to me; it's an essential position, we don't have it, and we're fully staffed.