Fewer teacher graduating, more teachers leaving

An analysis by a pro-teacher group in Rock Hill raises the question of whether there are going to be adequate numbers of teachers to educate the young.  The Center for Educator Recruitment, Retention, and Advancement finds that fewer teachers are graduating and more teachers are leaving.  It sees a widening gap between teacher supply and teacher demand.  And Kim Jedlicka does not disagree.  She’s involved in recruiting teachers to work in the Oconee public schools.  “I think where we’ve felt it the most is in the area of trying to recruit Special Education teachers and also in the area of secondary math and science teachers,” Jedlicka says.  To combat this, Oconee district recruiters frequent recruitment fairs and use a county initiative called “Grown Our Own.”  Districts statewide report a 33% increase in the number of vacant teaching positions compared to last year and a 66% increase compared to the 2013-14 year.  At times, good quality job applicants forsake the field of public school teaching for reasons such as pay and stress, but there’s an inner satisfaction that Jedlicka does not discount.  That’s the satisfaction that comes to teachers who see what they do as a calling, a way to help future generations.