Jackson Public Schools faced more than 200 teacher vacancies and not enough applications to fill those spots(Photo: Greg Jenson/The Clarion-Ledger)
The Jackson Public School district is currently facing more than 200 teacher vacancies and not enough applications to fill those spots for the upcoming school year, though officials say this is not unusual.
There are currently 218 open positions for certified teachers, guidance counselors and interventionists as of Tuesday afternoon, according to Human Resources Director Carol Dorsey. That's about a 10 percent rate, as Jackson Public Schools employs about 2,000 teachers total. The district is the second largest in the state.
Four other districts in the state — Kemper County, West Bolivar, Durant and Forrest County Agricultural – have higher vacancy rates, according to the most recent data available from the Mississippi Department of Education's website. Districts are not required to post vacancies on the site, so the data is not representative of all districts.
Kemper County, which employs 93 teachers and instructional staff, currently has 16 open slots, or about 17 percent. Superintendent Jackie Pollock said part of the reason is that many teachers had to renew their licenses after they expired this year, and the district is not able to contract with those teachers until their licenses are renewed.
"People come and go in our area quite a bit," Pollock said. "But ... at this point, it (the number) is not unusual for our area. There's not a lot of industry in Kemper County. It's a very rural area."
Dorsey explained that, in the past in Jackson Public Schools, vacancy numbers have been even higher at this time of year. She cited several reasons for this, including a slow hiring process.
"If I had five vacancies today, I could have five recommendations (of candidates) on their way to me. It's really a process," she explained, noting that candidates must go through several interviews, be approved by officials, pass a background check and have their educator licenses verified.
There's also a lag in the summers because contracts for principals, who are involved in hiring, end in mid-June and don't start up again until July.
If all spots aren't filled, students start the school year off with a retired certified teacher or a substitute teacher.
Dorsey said last year about five to 10 retired certified teachers had to fill in, and though she didn't know the exact number of substitute teachers, she said it was "higher than normal."
"It's not unusual for districts to find themselves still looking for teachers, particularly in the areas that have a real shortage of folks certified to teach in certain areas," explained Nancy Loome, executive director of The Parents' Campaign, an education organization that tracks and provides parents with information about legislation affecting public schools.
"There's also an incentive for teachers to move to higher performing districts," Loome said, pointing to the teacher pay raise bill passed this legislative session as one example of that. Beginning with the 2016-17 school year, teachers and staff who work in schools with "A" or "B" accountability ratings will receive financial awards.
Jackson Public Schools is rated "D" while Kemper County is a "C."
"Our salaries are nowhere near where they need to be to compete with other professional areas, particularly because public education has really been under attack," Loome said.
The starting salary for a first-year teacher in Jackson is around $34,000, according to Dorsey. In nearby Rankin County, the starting salary is $34,890.
Contact Kate Royals at kroyals@gannett.com or (601) 360-4619. Follow @KRRoyals on Twitter.
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