School districts across the country are feeling the effects of the ongoing teacher shortage, including those in Wisconsin.
In the northeast, the Wisconsin Education Career Access Network reported that the Green Bay Area Public School District has 96 open positions, and the Appleton Area School District has 28.
Julie King, chief human resources officer for the Appleton Area School District, said district officials and educators are committed to doing everything they can to fill the void.
“Fortunately, we do have many of our staff that might be taking the overload, so they might take on additional classes,” King told Fox11Online.com. “We have that flexibility and wonderful staff members who are willing to do that and take on those extra students.”
Officials from both districts continue to stress that while the situation is an issue, it is not as dire as it may seem because the districts are large enough to temporarily fill positions if they are not permanently filled by the start of the school year.
The Green Bay school district hires up to 150 new teachers a year, with numbers remaining consistent even with the lingering effects of the pandemic and a much higher resignation rate.
“The last two years, more resignations than we’ve had in previous years,” King said. “But many relocating, our largest numbers are those staying home with their family.”
Both districts said they are especially looking for teachers who specialize in special education.
