How is FCPS teacher/staff shortage?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our school has no listing for teachers. This does not seem to be an evenly distributed problem

I would say the MAJoRITY do. Lucky you!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Guess we all just have to hope our kids don’t have long terms subs next year.

We couldn't even find long term subs. We had a mix of daily subs until Christmas, one long term sub until March and then daily subs until the end of the year.

Are you at a bad school?

No. Most of my teacher friends had similar issues. The retired teachers who used to sub didn't come back after Covid. I wouldn't either. That left us with random people who want to be subs and many of them were just flaky. Many were new subs and could find better paying jobs with a lot less stress elsewhere so they did.

[Anonymous]

I hit submit too soon. I had a sub come into my room during lunch and said that she just got a call for an interview at some temp agency and she had to leave. She walked out and we had to divide up her class. Never saw her again. She lasted maybe 8 days.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DCUM for past 2 years-teachers are evil, lazy, etc
DCUM now- why are all these teachers quitting?

+1000

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Guess we all just have to hope our kids don’t have long terms subs next year.

We couldn't even find long term subs. We had a mix of daily subs until Christmas, one long term sub until March and then daily subs until the end of the year.

Are you at a bad school?

No. Most of my teacher friends had similar issues. The retired teachers who used to sub didn't come back after Covid. I wouldn't either. That left us with random people who want to be subs and many of them were just flaky. Many were new subs and could find better paying jobs with a lot less stress elsewhere so they did.

DP. Same situation here. It's not a good school/ bad school thing. It just had to do with the job not paying enough and being incredibly stressful especially last year.

[Anonymous]

If you career-switch to become a teacher - and the field needs these people more than ever because of teacher exodus - work experience in other fields does not "count" in the pay scale and you're paid as a first year teacher. I speak from experience...I have 15 years of experience in international trade and 2 Master's degrees (counting the one I studied for and paid for in secondary education) yet am paid as a second year teacher. This only works because my spouse makes quite a bit more than me AND we're willing to live simply. Push SB for some sort of equivalency for those coming to teaching from other professions and more people might be interested/financially able.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you career-switch to become a teacher - and the field needs these people more than ever because of teacher exodus - work experience in other fields does not "count" in the pay scale and you're paid as a first year teacher. I speak from experience...I have 15 years of experience in international trade and 2 Master's degrees (counting the one I studied for and paid for in secondary education) yet am paid as a second year teacher. This only works because my spouse makes quite a bit more than me AND we're willing to live simply. Push SB for some sort of equivalency for those coming to teaching from other professions and more people might be interested/financially able.

Even for teachers coming in from elsewhere, the maximum entry step is 13.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you career-switch to become a teacher - and the field needs these people more than ever because of teacher exodus - work experience in other fields does not "count" in the pay scale and you're paid as a first year teacher. I speak from experience...I have 15 years of experience in international trade and 2 Master's degrees (counting the one I studied for and paid for in secondary education) yet am paid as a second year teacher. This only works because my spouse makes quite a bit more than me AND we're willing to live simply. Push SB for some sort of equivalency for those coming to teaching from other professions and more people might be interested/financially able.

90% of all the openings I see are in sped, bilingual, math and science. It's these folks who need to be paid more. If private sector people come in qualified to teach these areas, they should get more pay (along with all the people already there).
And speaking of experience that doesn't count, districts balance their budgets on teachers' backs all the time. I should be paid for 25 years of experience. Instead, because I have changed districts, I get paid for 15 years experience. This means I am underpaid by about 25K. I have thought a lot about leaving. But reality is that I am 6-10 years from being able to retire and damn it, I am going to get my full pension if it kills me. Other people don't have my staying power and they are leaving. It would make sense to pay people like me, who have moved districts, for every year we've worked.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you career-switch to become a teacher - and the field needs these people more than ever because of teacher exodus - work experience in other fields does not "count" in the pay scale and you're paid as a first year teacher. I speak from experience...I have 15 years of experience in international trade and 2 Master's degrees (counting the one I studied for and paid for in secondary education) yet am paid as a second year teacher. This only works because my spouse makes quite a bit more than me AND we're willing to live simply. Push SB for some sort of equivalency for those coming to teaching from other professions and more people might be interested/financially able.

90% of all the openings I see are in sped, bilingual, math and science. It's these folks who need to be paid more. If private sector people come in qualified to teach these areas, they should get more pay (along with all the people already there).
And speaking of experience that doesn't count, districts balance their budgets on teachers' backs all the time. I should be paid for 25 years of experience. Instead, because I have changed districts, I get paid for 15 years experience. This means I am underpaid by about 25K. I have thought a lot about leaving. But reality is that I am 6-10 years from being able to retire and damn it, I am going to get my full pension if it kills me. Other people don't have my staying power and they are leaving. It would make sense to pay people like me, who have moved districts, for every year we've worked.

There are a ton of ES positions open K-6.

[Anonymous]

You know it's bad when there are a lot of elementary positions open. They are usually the easiest to fill.

[Anonymous]

Elementary principal here - staffing is a bloodbath right now. It's sad that we've gotten to the point of desperately protecting our ineffective teachers, knowing that we won't be able to fill the position with any teacher at all if they leave.

The days of pushing out bad folks and hiring with better teachers seem to be over. What a sad effect it will have on our students and families.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you career-switch to become a teacher - and the field needs these people more than ever because of teacher exodus - work experience in other fields does not "count" in the pay scale and you're paid as a first year teacher. I speak from experience...I have 15 years of experience in international trade and 2 Master's degrees (counting the one I studied for and paid for in secondary education) yet am paid as a second year teacher. This only works because my spouse makes quite a bit more than me AND we're willing to live simply. Push SB for some sort of equivalency for those coming to teaching from other professions and more people might be interested/financially able.

90% of all the openings I see are in sped, bilingual, math and science. It's these folks who need to be paid more. If private sector people come in qualified to teach these areas, they should get more pay (along with all the people already there).
And speaking of experience that doesn't count, districts balance their budgets on teachers' backs all the time. I should be paid for 25 years of experience. Instead, because I have changed districts, I get paid for 15 years experience. This means I am underpaid by about 25K. I have thought a lot about leaving. But reality is that I am 6-10 years from being able to retire and damn it, I am going to get my full pension if it kills me. Other people don't have my staying power and they are leaving. It would make sense to pay people like me, who have moved districts, for every year we've worked.

There are a ton of ES positions open K-6.

Yep, and my school has precisely 1 4-6 position on the website despite having at least 3 (maybe 4) 4-6 openings.

[Anonymous]

School psychologist here. You could not pay me enough to be a public school teacher!!

[Anonymous]

Our local elementary school is posting on social media with opening in their execption education (special education) for the base and CSS, and Enhanced Autism programs

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you career-switch to become a teacher - and the field needs these people more than ever because of teacher exodus - work experience in other fields does not "count" in the pay scale and you're paid as a first year teacher. I speak from experience...I have 15 years of experience in international trade and 2 Master's degrees (counting the one I studied for and paid for in secondary education) yet am paid as a second year teacher. This only works because my spouse makes quite a bit more than me AND we're willing to live simply. Push SB for some sort of equivalency for those coming to teaching from other professions and more people might be interested/financially able.

90% of all the openings I see are in sped, bilingual, math and science. It's these folks who need to be paid more. If private sector people come in qualified to teach these areas, they should get more pay (along with all the people already there).
And speaking of experience that doesn't count, districts balance their budgets on teachers' backs all the time. I should be paid for 25 years of experience. Instead, because I have changed districts, I get paid for 15 years experience. This means I am underpaid by about 25K. I have thought a lot about leaving. But reality is that I am 6-10 years from being able to retire and damn it, I am going to get my full pension if it kills me. Other people don't have my staying power and they are leaving. It would make sense to pay people like me, who have moved districts, for every year we've worked.

There is no way 90% are within those disciplines. I just looked and there are almost 140 postings for grades 1-6 (gen ed and AAP)