Akron Public Schools hopes to fill more than 100 vacancies throughout the district before school starts on Aug. 21.
Currently, the district has 162 vacant positions across 47 schools.
Kathleen Durkin worked as an educator for Akron Public Schools for 38 years, and now she mentors new teachers, including about 100 who were recently hired.
"All educators are worth their weight in gold, but really, you don't get into it always for the money. You get into it because you want to make a difference."
However, as a new school year is about to begin for about 20,000 students, APS still has a lot of vacancies to fill, such as 94 teacher positions, 52 paraprofessional roles, and eight secretary positions, with a particularly high need for special education staff.
"That is an alarming number, and it's not just for Akron Public Schools, although I believe that's the higest I've seen in many years," Pat Shipe, the president of the Akron Education Association, said.
Getting those positions filled is important to parents like William Reynolds, who has four children in the district.
"I think it would definitely be a top priority," Reynolds said. "I would probably put that second to figuring out why so many openings are out there."
Shipe said the reasoning behind the vacancies is a difficult question. But she feels as though fewer people are entering the profession and more are leaving, for a number of reasons, including "feeling micromanaged" over data.
"Every educator needs data," Shipe said. "We absolutely [do] and we believe we're accountable for that data, but in some cases, we're having educators assess students before they're even instructed on what they're being assessed on. We need to start letting them do their jobs."
Shipe said she worries there may be too much of a reliance on substitute teachers with the shortage, and that the classroom sizes will become too big.
"It's concerning, but we have no other choice then to just forge ahead and try to get the educators we need," Shipe said.
The district is addressing the urgent staffing concerns by exploring the option of bringing back retired teachers.
Additionally, APS is also hosting a talent fair on Aug. 20 from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. at the Sylvester Small Administration Building.
"We have a lot of work to do, and other small districts love getting an Akron Public School teacher because they are well trained," Durkin said.
Any candidate who attends the fair will have the chance to apply, speak with representatives and interview for positions that same day.
"Our commitment is to our students, and we know that the best teachers are often those who come from the community they serve," Larry Johnson, Executive Director of School Leadership, said. "The Grow Your Own program and our expanded partnership with Stark State College are perfect examples of how we're making that vision a reality."
