Students head back to school Monday in Prince George's County, and as teachers get ready for the start of the year, they are also preparing for some obstacles.
The county is short almost 1,000 teachers and more than 100 bus drivers.
“We expect to still have on average about four-and-a-half vacancies per school for this upcoming school year,” Prince George’s County Public Schools CEO Monica Goldson said.
That’s about 900 teachers short, Goldson said.
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The school system will supplement having fewer full-time teachers with substitutes and returning retired teachers. Some similar subjects may be combined into one classroom.
“We are going to try some innovative strategies at the secondary level where we can have a teacher who is in the classroom teaching and down the hall those students could be watching virtually with an assistant in the class as well,” Goldson said.
There is also a bus driver shortage of more than 160 bus drivers, which may mean delayed arrival times for many students as drivers double up on routes.
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“We’re grateful we had a recent job fair and a lot of people came out, but we are also having to train them so that they can get their CDL license,” Goldson said.
All students will return for in-person learning this year, and masks are once again required.
“We'll start with masks,” Goldson said. “I do believe that the numbers will go down, I've been monitoring it, and we may probably go back to mask optional later on, but I will update every two weeks to our community.”
After protests and an impasse during negotiations, Prince George's County teachers and support staff are expecting pay increases in every area. Teachers who do extra work to help with the shortage will be compensated more than ever.
“We will be able to pay teachers a per diem fee every time they take on additional classes,” Goldson said.
She said hiring for teachers and bus drivers will continue throughout the schoolyear.
The CEO also said there will be a greater focus on mathematics this year as the district works to raise test scores throughout the system. Supporting student mental health and social needs also will be key goals.
