OLMSTED FALLS, Ohio — As the 2023 - 2024 school year gets underway, school districts nationwide are experiencing a shortage of teachers.
According to data released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics, nearly half of public school education employees who left the profession earlier this year resigned due to burnout.
Good Morning Cleveland anchor Danita Harris visited Olmsted Falls City Schools and learned about a new initiative that focuses on teachers' mental health and managing stress.
Matt Celaschi, a special education teacher at Olmsted Falls High School and president of the Olmsted Falls Education Association, said rising violence and disciplinary issues in schools have many teachers on edge.
"You never know when that call is going to come across the PA and you're going to have to either barricade or get out of the school."
Olmsted Falls City Schools Superintendent, Jim Lloyd, is helping teachers like Celaschi process the pressures in a healthy way.
"So we started last year with really a professional development day that focused on talking about resilience and well-being," said Lloyd. "The first thing is to understand where your head's at with different things and then how to manage that."
The new initiative isn't just for teachers, but for all school staff who interact with students.
"If your job is to take care of the well-being and wellness of students, it's important that you take care of yourself first and foremost," said Lloyd.
