Oct 5, 2008 1:24 pm US/Eastern
Some NH Schools Scramble To Fill Teaching Jobs
AMHERST, N.H. (AP) ―
With baby boomers retiring and a dearth of new teachers in some subjects, many New Hampshire schools are looking longer and harder for good teachers.
Schools usually finish hiring teachers for the upcoming year around the end of July, but this year, several southern New Hampshire schools had openings until late September. Administrators say it isn't a dire situation, but the problem is growing.
Nashua schools had 12 open positions when the school year started, most of which were filled by the beginning of September. In Bedford, the last opening wasn't filled until September 22. Souhegan High School in Amherst filled its last position the week before school started. The Mascenic Regional district began the year with two open positions.
Many of the departing teachers represent the best and the brightest, said Amherst-Mont Vernon Superintendent Mary Athey Jennings.
"The baby boomers that are retiring included a huge group of highly qualified women who had no other alternatives in the 1960s, career-wise," Jennings said. "So, you had women who were at the top of their graduating class going into teaching."
The pool of college students studying to be teachers isn't large enough to replace them in areas such as math, science and special education.
Because those are considered critical shortage areas, the state allows schools to hire teachers who are still working toward certification.
"If we have an opening in elementary school, we'll get a large number of applications, and we'll have eight to 10 high-quality applicants from which to choose during the interview process," Milford Superintendent Bob Suprenant said. "That number is at least cut in half for critical shortage positions."
Beyond hiring teachers who haven't been certified yet, some schools are starting the hiring process earlier. Others are looking to the private sector.
"I see a small but steadily growing trend of people who've had other careers coming into teaching," said Susan Hodgdon, superintendent of the Hollis/Brookline School District.
But a private-sector expert isn't always a great fit for teaching, said Leo Corriveau, the superintendent for Wilton, Lyndeborough and Mascenic.
"They may have the knowledge, but they may not have all the other tools," Corriveau said. "The teacher candidates coming out of colleges are more successful than those coming out of the private sector."
In uncertain economic times, pursuing a career as a high school physics teacher, for example, might be a good idea, Corriveau suggested.
"We need to get the word out that for those who go into teaching" certain subjects, "there's a job waiting for you," Corriveau said.
(© 2009 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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