With more than 400 vacancies, CMS struggles with ‘dangerously shallow’ teacher pool
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools has higher-than-normal classroom teacher vacancies heading into the 2022-23 school year, a district official told The Charlotte Observer this week.
The number of teacher vacancies was 441 last week, said Eddie Perez, a CMS media relations specialist. The district also has 35 bus driver vacancies and 48 drivers on medical leave. Around the same time last year, the district had 123 teacher vacancies and 77 bus driver openings.
CMS has about 9,000 total teacher positions.
CMS’ first day of school is Aug. 29.
“The pool of certified teachers is dangerously shallow, but we are cautiously optimistic about closing the vacancy gap for the upcoming school year,” said Christine Pejot, CMS chief human resources officer. “Special incentives are available for teachers certified in special education and secondary math and science that will complement one of the highest local salary supplements in the state.”
The district’s workforce is also down in other departments — 78 custodian vacancies, 100 cafeteria worker vacancies and 146 teacher assistant vacancies. CMS is holding job fairs and offering recruitment bonuses to attract more people to its ranks.
“All newly-hired employees are eligible for a portion of the American Rescue Plan retention bonus that was approved by our school board last year,” Pejot said.
About 300,000 public school teachers and other staff have left the field, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data, a 3% drop since May 2020. More than half of educators are burned out and want to retire or leave the profession early, a National Education Association poll revealed in February. Key stressors, teachers say, are pandemic-related. But unfilled job openings and student behavioral issues contribute to the exodus.
Members of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Association of Educators told the Observer last fall staffing shortages and lack of support for employees and students are leaving teachers “exhausted.”
“There are many influencers — The Great Resignation, COVID, and declining enrollment in colleges of education among them,” Pejot said about why CMS is seeing teacher vacancies. “Low pay compared to other professions despite increased pressures is also a factor that has undoubtedly weighed heavily on teacher morale and in turn decisions to enter or stay in the profession.”
Attend the next CMS job fair
CMS held job fairs Wednesday to help recruit workers, and it will hold another next month.
Pejot said officials received “a tremendous response” of 715 registrants for an instructional job fair Wednesday.
“Candidates can take advantage of a number of hiring incentives,” said Pejot, who added many of the district’s Title I schools provide “rewarding” experiences.
CMS will hold an in-person job fair from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Aug. 3 at Phillip O. Berry Academy of Technology at 1430 Alleghany St. in Charlotte.
Take advantage of recruitment bonuses
Vicki Grooms, a media relations specialist, says a $7,500 recruitment bonus for teachers in hard-to-fill positions” in certain Title I schools is payable in two installments. Candidates must meet eligibility requirements.
The district’s qualifying schools include: Allenbrook Elementary, Bruns Avenue Elementary, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Academy, Garinger High School, Harding University High School, James Martin Middle, Military and Global Leadership Academy, Renaissance West STEAM Academy, Sedgefield Middle and Turning Point Academy.
Other recruitment bonuses CMS offers include:
▪ $2,500 for exceptional children (EC) teachers
▪ $1,000 for all new bus drivers with a start date in the 2022-2023 school year and who participate in a training class.
▪ $1,000 for new HVAC staff hired for the upcoming school year.
▪ $5,000 for the HVAC supervisor position.
▪ $1,250 in November for new cafeteria managers. Managers hired between now and Sept. 30 will be paid $750 after the first 30 days of work, with the second half of the bonus ($1,250) being paid in November.
The district is also looking for daily teacher substitutes,who are eligible for bonuses based on the number of assignments completed in a month. If a substitute works five to nine assignments in a month, there’s a $200 bonus. For 10 or more assignments in a month, there’s a $500 bonus.
This story was originally published July 21, 2022 at 6:00 AM.
