Monterey County tackles its teacher shortage
UPDATE 3/30/2016 6:05 PM: There’s a growing need for teachers in Monterey County. Within Monterey County’s 24 school districts, there are nearly 200 teacher openings. Santa Cruz County has 80 vacancies. The demand for teachers isn’t just happening on the Central Coast, but statewide. Many school districts are scrambling to find enough teachers for the upcoming school year, and a job fair at Hartnell College on Wednesday helped.
All kinds of teachers are needed, from elementary school to special ed to math and science.
“We have such a variety of teaching jobs available that anyone looking for a teaching position will really have a spot at the Salinas Union High School District,” said Irelia Dominguez, principal at La Paz Middle School.
But getting the teachers here is tough.
“Monterey County, as we know, is one of the hardest areas to recruit for because of the high cost of living here,” said Tauvia Harrigan, assistant principal at Fairview Middle School.
Many districts are now using methods not found in any textbook. Some are offering signing bonuses ranging from $5,000-$10,000. Others are hitting job fairs out of the area.
Representatives from the Soledad Unified School District traveled all the way to the Bay Area for a job fair on Wednesday, and plan to visit another in San Diego. Some districts are also traveling out of state — to Washington, Minnesota and Illinois.
“So we’re doing whatever is necessary to go out there and bring the best teachers to our students,” Harrigan said.
One of those teachers is Alex Barnes, who drove all the way from the Central Valley to the Central Coast. She said she’s weighing her options before deciding on a position.
“I am looking for a job preferably in a smaller district that offers a lot of support for their staff,” Barnes said. “I’m also looking for a progressive district that is willing to implement the most innovative teaching methods that are aligned with Common Core.”
A CSUMB student from Pacific Grove said he wants to stay local.
“So I guess Monterey is the closest to PG and I talked with Alisal a lot and Salinas,” Brady Shilstone said. “You know I’m just looking for whoever has a job. I’m not really picky, I just need to work.”
There’s a big range in starting salaries for teachers in Monterey County — anywhere between $35,000 and $56,000, depending on the district. Carmel Unified, Pacific Grove Unified and Gonzales Unified were some of the top-paying districts.
ORIGINAL POST:
Teachers are needed across the nation, and California is no exception to that teacher shortage.
In Monterey County, there are 197 vacancies open.
Monterey County school districts and private schools are in a hiring frenzy to fill those positions. On Wednesday, the Monterey County Office of Education held a Teacher Recruitment Fair at Hartnell.
KION’s Mariana Hicks will have more on this story Wednesday night.
