BY SAMUEL OLEYNIK, Guest columnist —
Earlier this week, concerns were raised about the capacity of classrooms in the Northampton school district.
Many of these concerns were raised over confusion and the illusion of a problem of teacher capacity.
As our communities deserve to understand this situation, it is important to acknowledge the surrounding context.
Across America since the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a growing teacher shortage, affecting every state and territory across the country.
According to a December 2022 press release from the National Center for Education Statistics, 45% of all public schools faced at least one teaching vacancy, and 27% had multiple teaching vacancies.
Another important detail to highlight is that, in the first few weeks of the school year, students are in the process of finalizing class schedules.
As a result of meeting student needs and interests, teachers move around appropriately in their classroom responsibilities to better fit the needs of all students.
There may be changes in assignments, but that comes out of helping meet all student needs, classroom sizes, and the skill set of employees.
In this instance, change (in teaching responsibilities) indicates the mobility of our teaching staff and a commitment to student-centric learning.
An instance of a teacher being moved to another classroom or school indicates that there is a greater need for an employee skill set in that area.
Northampton County Public Schools is committed to the students, and as a result of this, teaching staff may be moved to best fit classroom size, student needs, and particular skills that an employee may have.
In hiring, NCPS seeks innovative approaches to tackle the shortage of educators in the nation.
In closing, NCPS would like to acknowledge those who shared their messages of concern; Northampton County would not be able to support our students without those who speak out for these issues, such as the teacher shortage across the nation.
Thank you for your continued support of the school district as we “navigate the future together.”
To view Northampton County Public School Job opportunities, please visit:
https://www.ncpsk12.com/page/hr
The writer is Communications and Parent Engagement Coordinator for Northampton County Public Schools.
