The teacher shortage, which has been occurring both nationally and locally, has impacted University High School this year with classes starting without teachers in each of its core class departments.
The fall term began with substitute teachers manning classes for Biology, World History, sophomore English and Statistics. There were also shortages in elective classes, such as Vet Assisting.
One of the reasons given for teachers leaving the profession is the negative perception of teaching that is held by the public. The lack of support from the community can lead to teacher burnout. “Educators have to deal with a number of things that make their jobs more difficult,” said Principal Thomas Ott.
Once the school year has started, it becomes more difficult to find qualified candidates, which can slow down the hiring process. While the hiring process can be slow, administrators feel it is important to hire the right candidate for the job. “This is important because if a wrong person was hired then the long term issue is students won’t learn from the teacher. This process will make sure that we are not just taking any applicant for the job,” said Ott.
By the end of the first grading period, all of the positions were filled. While it is challenging starting after the school year has already started, members of the faculty are supportive and welcoming to their new colleagues. “It’s actually pretty fun, I have great support from the teachers, great support from the principal, assistant principal, everybody is welcoming. If I have any questions, they are quick to help me out.” said Biology teacher Alvin Etienne
Openings in schools offer educators from other states the chance to start this current year rather than having to wait until the fall. Ms. Kayla Abramowski is a new teacher at UHS taught at the elementary and college level classes in North Carolina. “Being a teacher at UHS is awesome and has a great atmosphere. I plan on collaborating with the culinary program to create a dog treat bakery,” said Vet assisting teacher Kayla Abramowski.
Due to the lack of a teacher in a core class, some students will now have months of work to do to catch up with the curriculum. ““The class was all right, there weren’t any assignments to do, so I treated it like it’s a free period to do assignments for other classes,” said sophomore Taniesha Dunn.
The recently hired teachers are walking into their new classes with lesson plans in hand to help catch up those students who are two months behind on the curriculum. “ I want students to be able to interact with the dogs and get them to be more involved because they haven’t had a teacher for the past seven weeks,” said Abramowski.
