Teachers are in short supply across North Carolina. | Canva
Teachers are in short supply across North Carolina. | Canva
Long-time Durham teacher Turquoise LeJeune Parker summed up how most teachers feel these days.
“We're talking about educators who are desperately, mentally, physically, spiritually -- they're depleted," Parker said, according to ABC 11 News.
The profession already was under pressure with regards to test scores, what to teach and not teach, lack of funding and other issues. Then COVID-19 came along, and that gave some teachers the push they needed to give up their jobs.
Across North Carolina, the Department of Public Instruction conducted a survey and found that 7% of teachers say they expect to quit the profession soon. There are hundreds of vacancies in school districts across the state, with Wake County currently looking to fill 439 positions and Durham about 220, along with 150 in Cumberland County.
“We know that the last couple of years of the pandemic, teaching was hard and we also know that the teaching profession is under a lot of pressure right now,” Durham Public Schools Chief Communications Officer Chip Sudderth told ABC 11 News.
With the shortages, some districts are scrambling to lure people into a teaching career. One answer that's being considered comes down to money.
"We are also offering bonuses to all of our employees who are with us this October, as well as certain signing bonuses for teachers and hard-to-staff positions or in schools where there's a significant need,” Sudderth said, according to ABC 11 News.
Wake County, meanwhile, is preparing a new recruitment campaign, though details about financial incentives were not mentioned at this time.
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