Newark is taking action on its teacher shortage by rehiring
teachers who already have years of experience under their belts.
New legislation that took effect
in late February makes it possible for qualified school districts, such as
Newark, to hire retirees to help fill vacancies. Newark has 113 vacancies
in the school district.
"Areas of bilingual
education, special education, hard-to-staff positions in the areas of
mathematics and science are always something that the district has historically
struggled with, and then the realities of the pandemic have just
compounded it a little bit more,” says Superintendent Roger Leon.
Some of the over 40 retirees
who've expressed interest are familiar faces to the district, but the
application is open to all retired teachers in the state. They can actually
start as soon as this school year.
"We've kept in contact with
them so we have a database that allows us to communicate with them, and
this opportunity made us, with more intent, to do it sooner rather than later,”
says Leon.
The district is still awaiting
its application status for the five-year pilot program that lets it hire
teachers with limited certifications. Both are hoped to fill the long-standing
employment gap.
If you would like to apply, click
HERE.