staffing shortages in school districts
by Chaitna Deshmukh and Muriel Moon, Reporters
School News
The Seattle and Yakima School districts closed on Jan. 7th, 2021, not due to COVID-19 concerns but rather staffing shortages.
At Kamiak, during the first week of January, many students had altered bussing schedules to accommodate the lack of staffing, resulting in longer commute times and fuller buses— the exact opposite of the guidance to prevent transmission of the Omicron variant. Amid a threat of school closures, how did districts deal with the staff shortage crisis and maintain educational standards?
Students at Kamiak noticed the increasing number of teachers and students absent each day. Many students even reported up to half of their teachers and classmates gone on a given school day in January. Substitute teachers have become an increasingly common sight, so we talked to a substitute who often works in Kamiak classes, Ms. Sonji Sackett.
Gauntlet: How long have you been a substitute in our district?
Sackett: I substitute taught for about two years before the pandemic started, and then I did not for a year and a half. Now I have been substitute teaching again for about four months.
G: How has substitute teaching changed over the last two years, especially with COVID-19?
S: Teaching in masks; it’s a big change! It takes longer to attach a name to a student because you do not have the face to make the connection with. It can be hard to hear students, especially if they have a language barrier or accent because you can’t watch their mouths move. Protocols are constantly changing, and at times, it’s difficult to stay on top of them.
G: Are there any recent changes amidst Omicron?
S: The main difference is another spike in teacher and student absences.
G: As a substitute teacher, are you in high demand?
S: Yes. I could work every day if I wanted to.
G: How would a school closure affect you?
S: I do not work for the money; I work because I enjoy doing it. The school shutdown would mean more time with my kids at home. That would be OK by me. It would also mean a much-needed break for teachers and administration.
G: Are you given short notice to substitute?
S: Jobs are posted to a website called Frontline. You can receive alerts anytime a new job is posted. While there are last-minute job openings, you are under no obligation to take those jobs. Working is at will.
G: Do you think the students are impacted by the numerous days with little-to-no instruction?
S: Yes and no. I think some of the breaks in class teaching allow students to catch up in other classes and, in general, be less stressed. Of course, we all want our kids to get the best education possible. Some of the responsibility for being well-educated lies on students themselves. Students are the drivers, teachers merely the vehicle.
G: Anything else to add about the staff shortage situation or something else?
S: There are some key areas of our school that are highly impacted by the pandemic: attendance, the school nurse, school administration, custodial staff, counselors, school lunch workers. These employees are impacted as much as teachers, if not more. They have less support than our educators.
DISCLAIMER: The opinions, beliefs, and viewpoints expressed by the various authors in this paper do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs, and viewpoints of Kamiak High School or The Gauntlet.