You’ve seen the “Help Wanted” signs everywhere, and schools are no different: A teacher shortage continues to impact school districts in Monterey County and across the nation. It was an issue pre-pandemic, but Covid-19 has impacted people’s interest in teaching. According to Rand’s 2021 State of the U.S. Teacher Survey, 1 in 4 teachers was thinking of leaving the profession by the end of the 2020-2021 school year. That was up by 50 percent over previous years, when an average of 1 in 6 were thinking of leaving the profession.
Locally, the Monterey Bay Teachers Association, the union that represents teachers in Monterey Peninsula Unified School District, conducted a survey among its members and reports that 58.3 percent, or 220 teachers, are considering leaving within the next year. Of those, 190 cited salary as the main reason.
In light of these statistics, districts are looking to special programs in hopes of increasing the pool of educators in the area.
Salinas City Elementary School District is working on an internal teacher pathway for current workers – such as bus drivers, clerks, paraeducators and maintenance workers – to become teachers. Katie Venza Balesteri, assistant superintendent for human resources at SCESD, says they are focusing on locals because there is a higher turnover among those who aren’t from the area. “The teachers who jump into the classrooms most readily and who stay with us are those who come from Salinas because this is their community,” Balesteri says.
The SCESD program is in its early stages, and at least 20 people have shown interest so far. The district will provide guidance to help people finish their bachelor’s degree, get into a teacher accreditation program and/or apply for grants.
MPUSD has a program called Alder Teacher Residency in which aspiring teachers can earn their master’s degree and teacher credential in one year. Applications are now open for its fourth cohort for the 2022-2023 school year.
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