CHARLOTTE, N.C. — School districts throughout the Carolinas are facing teaching shortages, mainly thanks to COVID-19. Now, school board members and staff are navigating how to respond to the problem.
Some are asking for volunteers to cover classrooms and others are finding ways to incentivize teachers and subs to work extra shifts.
At a recent meeting of the Cabarrus County Schools Board of Education, Superintendent John Kopicki suggested a monetary incentive for teachers and staff who cover classes during their planning periods.
"I appreciate us identifying there is an issue and actually doing something about it," said board member Keshia Sandidge, "and I just want to say I appreciate our staff for going the extra mile to make sure we get through this pandemic."
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Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools has asked for community members to volunteer or sign up as a paid guest teacher. That includes Ross Danis, who is on his second week of volunteering at CMS Schools.
He’s moved around from front office staff at the schools to teaching subjects he has experience in like social studies.
"I found it really interesting because I started as a teacher, a high school social studies teacher in 1978," Danis said. "And, and you know, it felt familiar.”
His entire staff at MeckEd, a youth advocacy organization, is volunteering a few days out of the week to cover classes at different schools.
“I was assigned to my classes for the day. I did four blocks: three social studies blocks and one math," he said.
Danis said the atmosphere at the schools is busy, and it's all hands on deck.
“I was busy all day. I didn't have a minute, you know, except for like a 20-minute lunch period," he noted.
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This is a constant reality for teachers and substitutes who are filling in for absent teachers during this surge in COVID-19 cases.
Cabarrus County Schools is reporting 44.5 % of teacher absences were filled by a substitute during the first week in January. That’s compared to 55.5% of teacher absences being filled by another Cabarrus staff member.
Four months before this, in September, the district had 59.5% of teacher absences covered by subs and only 40.5% percent covered by other staff members.
That's why Superintendent Kopicki wants to work on an incentive program to help motivate and retain teachers.
"What I am going to say is we are not going to do anything to put us into any kind of financial peril," Kopicki said in response to how much the incentives would cost the district.
He mentioned using COVID-19 emergency relief funds.
Although no numbers have been solidified, the school board is trying to include as much staff as they can including substitutes.
The superintendent plans to reveal more details at the next school board meeting.
The Cabarrus district also created the District Office Instructional Support Teams to provide classroom instruction and support for our teachers when our schools have unmet substitute needs.
Contact Shamarria Morrison at smorrison@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.