Teachers in short supply

A major teacher shortage was declared by Wenatchee High School Principal Eric Anderson to the staff on March 9. Due to the multitude of positions that will be open as of the 2016-17 school year combined with the fact that there have been few applications submitted, Anderson issued an appeal this week for any contacts the staff may have.

The teacher shortage is a crisis not only in the Wenatchee School District or even within Washington state, but is widespread across the country. According to WHS English teacher Chris Cloke, teacher numbers are short by approximately 5,000 to 7,000 teachers, with an estimate of falling 20,000 teachers short in five years.

Many of the factors impacting this decline range from growing class sizes to the imbalance between retiring teachers versus the number of new teachers, to the general disrespect teachers are receiving, Cloke said. Because this problem is so widespread, districts must collaborate — but at the same time battle one another to hire enough teachers. Schools such as Eastmont have even gone so far as guaranteeing jobs to teachers who have not graduated yet.

“You can contact potential teachers, but it will do nothing if you don’t have what they want,” Cloke said, referring to Anderson’s contact appeal. “You not only have to contact them, you have to offer something more attractive in the field than the competition. The question is, what can we offer?”

However, Anderson remains optimistic and is working to attract teachers with marketing that Anderson hopes to be effective as well as creative. He said that already, some contacts have been found through his appeal, and the school can continue hiring through late July or August, if necessary.