Wake County schools face teacher shortage days before start of classes
WAKE COUNTY, N.C. (WTVD) -- With fewer than six days until the start of the traditional school calendar, teachers and administrators are putting their final plans together on how to safely navigate the year amid the surge in COVID-19 cases. In Wake County they're also dealing with a teacher shortage.
Right now, Wake County has 206 in-person teacher positions open. County school leaders are working hard to fill them by recruiting from local colleges and by offering hiring bonuses.
Wake County is reporting 151 general teacher openings with a vacancy rate at 1.5%.
There are 55 special education teacher positions and 130 Virtual Academy teaching positions open.
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Additionally, instructional assistants are also needed. There are 103 regular vacancies and 184 Special Education vacancies.
Human Resources representatives say those vacancies are still vital.
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They report the pandemic has a hand in the number of vacancies this close to the school year but are confident they can make it up -- if not by Monday, then definitely through the year.
"We're looking at every pipeline that we have available ... we've instituted a hiring bonus for special ed teachers," said HR assistant superintendent AJ Muttillo.
