Schools facing teacher shortages Openings often go begging in science, math, Spanish

Abbe Smith

Aug. 11, 2008 (McClatchy-Tribune Regional News delivered by Newstex) -- As school districts scramble to fill vacant teaching positions before kids start heading back to school this month, a shortage of science, math and foreign language teachers remains a statewide roadblock.

In New Haven, officials have traveled all the way to Puerto Rico to recruit muchsought-after (and hard to find) bilingual teachers. This year, the trip netted eight recruits. Across the state, districts are seeing an influx of English-language learners; more than 9,000 entered Connecticut schools from 2000 to 2005 alone, according to the state Department of Education.

The problem, according to Education Department spokesman Thomas Murphy, is that there are more vacancies than teachers in some subjects.

"There is an overage of elementary certified teachers and we have shortages in math, science and world language," he said.

In fact, the state establishes specific shortage areas each year where districts might encounter difficulties in hiring teachers.

This year's shortages are in foreign languages, math, science, special education, bilingual education, librarians, technology education and administrators, such as principals. The state allows special exceptions to hiring rules for teachers in these areas.

For example, districts can rehire retired teachers for one year at a reduced rate if they cannot find qualified new teachers. The district can then petition to bring the retiree on for a second year if needed.

There are additional benefits as well. Murphy described a mortgage-assistance program for shortage-area teachers in priority or transitional school districts.

West Haven is one of the school districts taking advantage of the special exceptions to fill vacant positions in time for the new school year. Superintendent of Schools Neil Cavallaro said hiring Spanish-language teachers has been the most difficult task so far this year.

The district had spots for three Spanish teachers -- two at the high school and one in the middle school -- and resorted to hiring back a retired Spanish teacher to fill one of the positions.

"It is never our preference to bring back a retired person," Cavallaro said. "We have only done it a couple times. We want new teachers who are going to be here a long time."

Cavallaro said bilingual teachers for English-language learners have been hard to find, too. Part of the problem is that on top of increasing numbers of English-language learners entering schools, qualified bilingual teachers have so many options for employment.

"If you are bilingual, you are a very marketable person. You can go out and look not only in the education field but also in the business field," Cavallaro said.

The shortage of bilingual teachers across the state is partly what prompted New Haven to look to the Caribbean for Spanish speakers. Jose Ortiz, supervisor of bilingual and English as a Second Language programs for the New Haven Public Schools, said eight recruits from Puerto Rico will be arriving in a couple of weeks.

"By going to Puerto Rico, it has allowed the school system to recruit from a pool of bilingual and bi-literate candidates with expertise in different content areas," he said, and specifically mentioned math, science and special education as subject areas benefiting from the trip.

Ortiz noted that the shortage of bilingual teachers across the state is especially true in large urban centers like New Haven.

In Milford, Human Resources Director Wendy Kopazna said the district has been fortunate to fill vacancies in math, science and English this year. She said they were lucky to hire a Spanish teacher because that can be one of the most difficult to fill.

"You have to look early and hope that you get somebody quickly. They get snatched up sometimes by June," she said.

Milford still has a couple of special education positions to fill and a couple of positions that could open up this month. But she's hoping they won't be in the shortage areas.

"It's kind of the nature of the game in July and August for shortage areas," she said. "In the month of August, it's like this vicious cycle."

For the long term, Murphy offers advice to college students looking to go into the education field: diversify.

"We have a buyer's market and seller's market in our education system," he said. "Whenever elementary positions are advertised, they get a long line out the door of elementary-certified teachers. Whenever we advertise for math, science and world language, we are often looking and scurrying to find qualified teachers right up until the first day of school."

He encouraged aspiring teachers to look at the labor market as they make decisions about what certifications to seek.

Newstex ID: KRTB-0141-27310882