Lisbon’s search for a science teacher is finally over. A huge congratulations to Lisbon for finding a science teacher ahead of the start of the school year and getting students back to having in person learning in a critical portion of their curriculum.
As Lisbon secondary principal Jack Leighty stated at last week’s school board meeting, the state’s shortfall of science teachers this school year was more than 100.
The shortage of teachers isn’t just an issue Lisbon has been facing alone. At the largest districts in the state, there have been reports of hundreds of openings for teachers at the end of last school year. Some teachers just moved to other districts in the state, but others left the profession entirely.
Nationally, reporting is also showing this shortage is about to get a lot worse, as less people are becoming teachers or entering the profession and professionals who get burned out are now selecting different careers.
Mount Vernon and Lisbon are two communities that pride themselves on the importance of education. We see it with our local school boards each month where they discuss the needs of our school systems, the successes and areas that could see improvement that the districts are working towards. The school boards work to retain as many quality teachers they can each school year, and try to replace the teachers who have left.
But the teacher shortage is forcing issues that would have been unthought of before. There are districts not letting teachers in critical subjects out of their contracts.
Or as was Lisbon’s case until they found a teacher – districts who had to wrestle with the best solution for a terrible dilemma and decide between which online learning will work best for most of their students if they couldn’t find a science teacher.
It’s another reminder on the importance of supporting education and educators, be that in voting or in the community’s actions.
Because the students in our schools – they’re our future workforce and citizens in these communities, and their having a well-rounded education is a benefit to us all.