The start of the school year is supposed to be an exciting time, but Jaime Hall said excitement took a back seat when she learned shortly before the start of the school year that the assigned teacher for her son’s first-grade class wasn’t returning.
“And the plan was that obviously they were going to continue to try to find somebody,” Hall said.
Her son attends Valley View Boys Leadership Academy in the Kamms Corner neighborhood of Cleveland.
"We really liked his kindergarten teacher. We really liked his pre-K teacher too,” Hall said.
The pre-K through eighth grade school is part of CMSD’s Innovative Network of schools.
Hall said plans presented to parents never panned out, and her son’s class ended up with several teachers coming and going.
"I tried to give the district a little bit of grace and understand that they can't produce a teacher out of thin air,” Hall said. “Then there's been other promising things along the way that have all fallen short. And here we are still. He's had no consistency."
Hall said no graded work has come home, and there’s been no parent-teacher conference. She also said her son’s class had been split up at times.
“Half the class went to kindergarten. Half the class went to second grade. Nobody was happy about it,” Hall said. “The class sizes were large. You’re teaching various levels [and] they’re not on the same track.”
She said what’s happening is taking a toll on her son, and she’s concerned for others in his class.
"He has in fact fallen behind, and we are at this point just trying to do what we can to supplement his learning through tutoring that we find in the community,” Hall said.
CMSD’s Communications Officer Candice Grose released a statement to News 5 about the lack of a permanent first-grade teacher at Valley View Boys Leadership Academy.
The District recognizes the importance of having a qualified and dedicated long-term substitute teacher in place to provide consistency and continuity for our scholars. We are actively working to fill this critical role and have placed calls to find the best candidates. Although the previous long-term substitute teacher's assignment ended earlier this month, our Human Resources and Talent team has been diligently recruiting to fill this position. We are leaving no stone unturned in our efforts to find a highly qualified individual who shares our commitment to educational excellence.
Shari Obrenski, president of the Cleveland Teachers Union, said nationwide, there’s an educator shortage, and districts like CMSD are struggling to fill positions and hire substitutes.
“Currently, the district has about 175 teaching openings and we do not have enough subs to cover all of those openings every day,” Obrenski said. “So, unfortunately, there are classrooms that are left without a teacher.”
Obrenski called it a terribly difficult situation for students, teachers and schools and said class splitting is happening every day across the district.
“And to have that happen on a regular basis impacts all of the students and teachers and other educators in that situation,” Obrenski said. “It’s not sustainable and it’s not something that’s good for kids.”
Obrenski said there are many factors contributing to a national educator shortage.
“It’s kind of like having a bucket with a hole in it,” Obrenski said. “The bucket keeps emptying, and we can’t fill it up fast enough to cover all the openings we have. We have some pretty difficult working conditions in education. We have a lot of times substandard pay. We have teachers that are not feeling supported...that are feeling worn out. They’re leaving the profession to do other things."
Obrenski added that education is also seeing a lot of retirements and people not entering the profession.
She worries that teacher shortages will likely continue to grow until school funding, compensation, and other factors surrounding classroom culture improve.
CMSD’s statement also said it’s working aggressively to recruit new teachers.
As part of our recruitment efforts, we held a job fair yesterday and have another one planned for March 28. These events are designed to attract a diverse pool of talented educators who can make a positive impact on our students' lives. We understand the vital role that educators play in shaping the minds of our youth, and we are committed to ensuring that our scholars have access to the best possible education. We appreciate our CMSD parents’ patience and support as we work to fill this important position and provide our scholars with the high-quality education they deserve.
Hall said it feels like she’s hit a dead end.
“At this point, I know nothing is going to change to get my son up to speed. So now we're just looking forward to the end of the school year,” Hall said. “And we're looking for education elsewhere for him."
