In northeastern Pennsylvania, what a few years ago was a fairly sleepy school board contest focused on millage rates and teacher salaries has turned into a competitive – and combative – race centered on so-called "parental rights."
Districts are raising salaries, building apartments and giving teachers more planning time. But, with superintendents warning of worsening staff shortages, districts may be overlooking another solution: student teaching.
"A long, long time ago I heard a superintendent talk and say, 'The problem with communication is 90% of the time people think they communicated, they didn't communicate or they miscommunicated,'" says Sean Maika, who was recently named a Superintendent to Watch by the National School Public Relations Association. "That leads to 90% of your problems."
A shallower-than-expected pool of just 10 applicants drove Duval County Public Schools to pause its search for a new superintendent last week, with a consultant citing politics as a key factor.
Districts will likely continue to grapple with staffing shortages for years to come but a survey released this week indicates there is reason to be optimistic.
Most often, applicants desire a salary that's livable and respectable. Unfortunately, not every school district can offer competitive pay. So what are they doing instead?
Can social media—a source of much consternation in K12 these days—play a crucial role in whether the states your districts call home remain among the best (or worst) for educators? Superintendents and their teams should consider leveraging Instagram, X and other platforms to connect teaching recruits with more experienced educators who can share reasons to come work in the district, advises Ramon Goings, an associate professor in the Language Literacy & Culture Doctoral Program at the University of Maryland.
In order for there to be more women involved in district leadership, it requires current and aspiring leaders to create a strong network of females who advocate for one another. And that's the mission these two have sought out to do in their own communities.
Two-thirds of teachers feel their base salary is inadequate, compared to 39% of U.S. working adults who say the same. A $17,000 raise would cover the pay gap between teachers and similarly college-educated professionals, RAND found.
