Possible solutions to staffing shortages plaguing school districts

PORTLAND, Ore. (KGW) — This week, KGW has been focusing on the school staffing shortages that are putting a major strain on teachers and districts across Oregon, Washington and the country. On Monday, we looked at how we got to this point. Now we are seeking out what can be done to hopefully help the situation.

It’s clear that teachers are under a lot of stress and pressure. It was true before the pandemic but now it’s even worse. Many school districts are severely understaffed, teachers are burning out and the situation is not sustainable.

So where do we go from here? People working in the education world have both short-term and long-term solutions.

Nicole Butler-Hooton, a teacher of more than 15 years in Eugene and Oregon’s 2021 Teacher of the Year, has been on a special assignment.

“We’re going out and supporting teachers who are new to the profession within the first three years or new to our district, or are teachers of color, and really setting a goal. We’re using coaching for equity as a tool so that we can really coach up our teachers so they feel supported and valued,” said Butler-Hooton.

She’s a mentor to more than a dozen new teachers.

“Our hope would be that we will retain these teachers,” she said.

For the whole story, watch the video above or read more at https://bit.ly/31KWqDC

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