INDIANAPOLIS – Indiana’s teacher shortage is coming into sharper focus with the start of the school year.

Indiana schools are scrambling to fill 600 vacant teaching jobs. The Indiana Department of Education points out those 600 vacancies are spread across 300 school districts, but spokesman Adam Baker says it’s still a lot — the Indianapolis Public Schools alone are short 61 teachers.

Baker says schools have been trying to fill the vacancies, but says school districts often are looking for specific qualifications and have trouble finding a good fit. He says many of the vacancies are in math and science, where schools have been struggling for years to find enough qualified teachers.

Baker says the state has issued nearly six times as many emergency permits as last year to fill the gaps. He says some schools are trying to partner with local businesses, trying to coax professionals to take a year’s sabbatical to teach their specialty. Other schools are turning to subs, or teachers already on staff who are certified in more than one subject.

Baker says teacher pay is the reason most commonly given for the teacher shortage. But he says there are also shortages of administrators, who haven’t faced the same pay complaints, and bus drivers, whose salaries are largely uniform across the state. Baker speculates even non-teachers see criticism of education and look to other employers instead.

 

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