From the cover
Area school districts work to ll teacher vacancies
BY JARRETT WHITENER
The speci cs
Two-minute Impact
Teacher vacancies
JISD and SCUCISD sta said special education and bilingual teachers are the most di cult roles to ll due to the special certi cations needed. SCUCISD Chief Human Resources O cer Linda Cannon said district o cials are working to imple- ment more onboarding processes and recruitment opportunities to nd new teachers. “It has been most di cult to nd special edu- cation teachers,” Cannon said. “There are fewer applicants for these positions as well as [di culty] meeting the certi cation requirements.” In the 2022-23 school year, there were 371,650 Texas teachers, according to data from the Texas Education Agency, but, 49,782 teachers left their jobs and 51,001 new teachers were hired. JISD and SCUCISD are districts of innovation, which allows them to hire teachers that are degreed, but not certi ed. Through this program, districts can recruit new teachers and help them gain certi cation and classroom experience. JISD Chief Communications O cer Nicole
Across the region, districts have stayed competitive by increasing teacher salaries, according to district o cials. Judson, North East, Northside and Schertz- Cibolo-Universal City ISDs have each enacted historical raises since the height of COVID-19 pandemic, according to budgets. The Teacher Vacancy Task Force, established by Gov. Greg Abbott in 2022, recommended policies in February to address teacher vacancies citing pay as a top priority. But local districts are operating at budget shortfalls and will not be able to sustain pay increases each year at the existing level, o cials said during meetings. “Recurring costs cannot continue to dump into the general fund,” JISD trustee Suzanne Kenoyer said in June. “We can’t take out a fund balance every year in a de cit budget.”
65 vacancies
7 vacancies
1604
SCUCISD
281
35
10
410
JISD
10
N
Taguinod said substitute teachers also may assist with classes that don’t have a dedicated teacher. “Having a di erent person in the classroom throughout the year has an impact on our younger kids especially, because they do not get that consistency,” Taguinod said.
Starting teacher salaries
2021-22 2023-24
10.4%
4.55%
5.07%
What they’re saying
60K 50K 40K 30K 20K 10K 0
6.06%
“Education 20 years ago is di erent than it is now. Sometimes teachers feel like we are on an island by ourselves. We are trying to be
“Attendance at traditional job fairs has been lower, and it seems there are
fewer candidates taking the traditional college route of becoming a teacher.” LINDA CANNON, SCUCISD CHIEF HUMAN RESOURCES OFFICER
the best for the students.” MINDY JONES, ACADEMIC COACH AT KITTY HAWK MIDDLE SCHOOL
SCUCISD
JISD
NEISD
NISD
SOURCES: SCHERTZ CIBOLO UNIVERSAL CITY ISD, JUDSON ISD COMMUNITY IMPACT
Going forward
are encouraged to apply for substitute and paraprofessional roles within the district or recommend others to the programs o ered. “We will provide support if you are trying to get a speci c certi cation,” Taguinod said. “We want to welcome retirees back. We want our substitutes to know they are a consistent part of someone’s school day, and we want to provide the best academic experience for our students.”
also worked with JISD to advocate for a healthy working environment for teachers, Taguinod said. SCUCISD o cials are working on the creation of a “Grow Your Own” teacher program, which supports local education agencies and helps candidates move to full-time teaching roles. With a focus on building teachers from within the districts, community support is requested by district sta . Members of the community
While compensation is one of the most important pieces of hiring and retention, districts are also considering other bene ts. According to district o cials, bene ts under review include: • Work/life balance • Dedicated planning time • Increased bene its Teacher task forces and other groups have
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