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NEWS
AHWATUKEE FOOTHILLS NEWS | JANUARY 18, 2017
Ahwatukee schools so far dodging growing teacher shortage BY PAUL MARYNIAK AFN Executive Editor
A
mid a worsening teacher shortage in Arizona, Ahwatukee’s schools are apparently faring better—for
now. The Arizona School Personnel Administrators Association earlier this month released a survey that found of 8,343 teacher positions that needed to be filled in 159 public and charter schools in the state, 2,165 remained vacant at the end of 2016 and as many as 2,221 were filled by people who did not meet standard requirements. And the reality likely is even worse, since the survey was answered by only a fraction of Arizona’s 2,267 K-12 public schools and more than 500 charters. “Sadly, the teacher shortage in Arizona continues to worsen,” the association said, calling on state leaders “to make an immediate, collective effort to ensure that the recruitment and retention of effective teachers is an urgent priority for years to come.” In his annual speeches at the Capitol and before East Valley chambers of commerce last week, Gov. Doug Ducey acknowledged the shortage and proposed some long-term solutions to solve the problem. He also proposed changing teacher certification requirements, noting that under the current system, former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor would be ineligible to teach in an Arizona public school despite her lengthy academic and legal accomplishments. At the same time, the Arizona Center for Teacher Preparation, this month was denied the ability to continue offering its alternative path to certification in
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Arizona by the state Department of Education in its most recent annual review. “The state is now requiring alternative paths to teaching certification to meet standards that most traditional colleges do not and cannot achieve,” the center said in a release. For now, Kyrene and Tempe Union school districts have avoided a teacher shortage, spokespersons for both districts said. Similarly, Horizon Honors schools reported no problem. “We currently do not have any teacher openings,” said Melissa Hartley of Horizon Honors, who said all 55 elementary and 38 secondary school positions are filled by regular teachers, not long-term substitutes. “In the last few years, we have not had much difficulty filling open positions, but we are lucky to not have much turnover either,” Hartley said. Tempe Union spokesperson Jill Hanks reported, “Fortunately, Tempe Union has not experienced the teacher defections or shortages that other districts have faced. “We can attribute some of that
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to having Arizona State University and its strong teachers college in our backyard, coupled with a strong and long partnership with the university, and also to the quality of the programs and environment in our A-rated district,” Hanks said. “We also offer competitive salaries and benefits. “ Hanks said all districts historically have trouble finding teachers in special education, math and science “and we do compete in those areas.” Even so, there are only three open teaching positions among all six of the district’s high schools in Tempe and Ahwatukee, she added. Kyrene School District mounts a proactive effort annually to blunt any serious teacher shortage, spokesperson Nancy Dudenhoefer said, by holding job fairs “to promote our innovative, teacher-friendly environment.” “Each year, long time educators retire and teachers move out of state,” Dudenhoefer said. Teacher shortages became an issue in the Kyrene school board elections last year as most candidates expressed
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A student teacher takes an exam as he prepares for a trial run at a Valley school.
concerns that district officials were not creating enough incentives to encourage teachers to stay. But a first-of-its-kind study by the district threw cold water on claims that too many teachers are leaving. The study, unveiled at the Oct. 25 board meeting, showed that 142 employees left before the current school year began. That number not only is far lower than the 180 that was cited often by some candidates, but it also includes both teachers and other personnel. The study did not break down teachers and other employees. Nevertheless, Kyrene Superintendent Jan Vesely and the board have adopted a number of measures aimed at making the district’s salaries and benefits more competitive with other districts, which often try to lure teachers away with the promise of better rewards. Vesely also has said she is hoping to start other programs aimed at mentoring young teachers so that they feel more at home in the district. The Arizona School Personnel Administrators Association said schools in the state face ever-increasing challenges “to hire and retain effective teachers when the candidate pool is dry.” “We must make a collective effort to ensure that the availability of effective teachers is an urgent priority for next year and years to come,” said former association president Justin Wing. Among other findings in its survey: • 421 teachers abandoned their jobs by abruptly leaving or simply not showing up anymore within the first four weeks of the current school year. • Another 667 teachers resigned after the first four weeks of the 2017-18 school year.
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