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Help (still) Wanted, as school year starts

Across Virginia, schools are struggling to find enough teachers for the upcoming fall semester.

Educators say Virginia had a teacher crisis before the pandemic, which only made things worse. That's why the Virginia Public Education Coalition is calling for higher pay, increased support and better working conditions.

Chris Jones at the education advocacy group ASCD says the teacher crisis is particularly alarming at schools with high rates of poverty. “That crisis, that teacher shortage is happening in schools where children need our best educators. And those shortages are happening more so there than in other parts of the state."

Many school officials say the hotline created to report teachers who taught divisive concepts was a setback for recruitment. Krista Barton-Arnold is executive director of the Association for Elementary School Principals "That was a real blow to teachers in the state of Virginia that our governor instituted a tipline to get complaints registered about teachers in a situation where teachers were overstretched trying to close massive academic gaps, not to mention especially in elementary schools the social and emotional issues."

Earlier this year, lawmakers approved a 10% pay raise for teachers spread across two budget years plus a $1,000 one-time bonus in the first year. But teachers say that's simply a Band-Aid, and that even after that increase Virginia teachers will be below the national average.

This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.

Michael Pope is an author and journalist who lives in Old Town Alexandria.