PORTLAND (WGME) — School is almost back in session, but as students get ready for the classroom, will there be enough staff to support them?
A number of districts still have openings, with classes starting in less than two weeks for some areas.
“I think the stars aligned for us somewhat this year,” MSAD 72 Superintendent Jay Robinson said.
Robinson says his district in western Maine has had some pretty good luck.
“We’ve been able to fill the vast majority of our positions this year, so starting early helped us,” Robinson said.
MSAD 72 began posting job openings around March and went to job fairs through colleges. That helped them find applicants.
“Even so, lots of those had many, many opportunities and by the time you call to interview, some of them had already landed jobs,” Robinson said.
The hiring landscape is still competitive, and they’re having challenges filling more specialized roles like school psychologists.
“Special Ed is still an area that, I think across the state, that is struggling, and we are not that different,” MSAD 6 Superintendent Clay Gleason said.
Gleason believes nearly all teaching positions are filled, though there are some edtech positions open just like last year.
“We were able, by the end of September, kind of fill that out pretty well, so I feel hopeful we’ll get where we need to be,” Gleason said.
He says the district serving towns like Buxton and Hollis is in the best shape it’s been in in the last three years.
“I think you just have to keep putting it out there,” Gleason said.
Late last year, the state’s Department of Education partnered with “Live + Work in Maine” to launch a million-dollar ad campaign, hoping to attract more educators to Vacationland. In May, the state reported more than 60,000 people viewed education jobs, with nearly 2,000 applying.
Gleason feels strongly about creating a positive atmosphere.
“And I hope that’s some of what’s happening, right? Is people come to work for us and see it’s a good place to work and then they want to stay,” Gleason said.
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Publish date : 2024-08-15 06:25:00
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