RC Superintendent Tidbits
By: Mark Otten
School districts across the state and the country are struggling to fill open positions and Rock County Public Schools is no exception. The landscape has really changed over the past ten to twenty years when it comes to applications within school systems. I began my teaching career in 1999 and I was one of many applicants for a position as a rural school teacher in South Dakota. I felt lucky to get an interview, and even luckier to get offered a position. I could not sign that first contract fast enough. Getting a teaching job as a first-year teacher was difficult. There seemed to be many applicants, especially for elementary teaching positions, and not enough openings. Times have definitely changed!
Rock County Public Schools has advertised for elementary as well as high school positions in the past three years and the applications have not come pouring in. When we post an opening, we are praying for one or two good applicants to choose from and we feel lucky when we get five or six. I commend past and current administration for the staff they have hired and I am grateful for the work they do every day. Rock County Public Schools will open in August with all certified teaching positions filled and we will be providing the same high-quality education the community has come to expect.
How do we help solve the problem of teacher shortages? This is philosophical, not an exact science. And, it is just my philosophy, not necessarily the beliefs of the Rock County School Board of Education or the district in general. First of all, we all need to support and promote the profession. Teaching is a great profession that is rewarding and fulfilling. Unfortunately, it is not a profession where students see a lot of opportunity to make “good” money. There are many opportunities out there where the money is better right out of high school, or maybe after a year or two in a technical school, and many students will not pass those up to get a four-year degree which puts them in more debt, and makes less money upon graduation. Can you blame them?
Second, in the past two years, our teachers have been asked to teach students in the traditional style classroom, while also teaching some students remotely, while taking care of their own personal needs during a pandemic, and being asked to attend to all of our students’ mental health needs. Five years ago, teachers only had one of those needs to take care of. As a school district and community, how can we support our teachers with the new requirements involved in being a teacher?
Finally, it has been said by people a lot more educated than me that teachers need a raise. I do not disagree with the value of a good teacher and I think we have just that, good teachers. However, raising the pay alone will not fix the problem of a teacher shortage. There needs to be a renewed respect shown to the profession and a conscientious effort to support the profession so students will be excited to pursue it. Raises would certainly help to retain quality teachers and would possibly attract a few more to the profession, but promotion of the profession by present and past educators with support of the greater community could help get more students excited to enter the teacher pipeline across the state and country. This is not simply a Rock County Public Schools issue; it is a national issue that needs addressed.