San Francisco (KGO) — Addressing the country’s teacher shortage requires an “all-out” effort, according to one of the largest job search firms in the United States.
The Biden administration has announced that three partners (Indeed, ZipRecruiter and Handshake) will help school districts hire the teachers they need.
The challenge for San Francisco public schools is to recruit students in special education, math, science, and even language arts.
Currently, 19 classes across the district do not have a full-time teacher.
“For the vacancies in the 19 classrooms, we are filling them with alternatives, but we know this is not ideal,” said Laura Dudnick, spokesperson for the San Francisco Unified School District.
VIDEO: San Francisco Teachers Call for Pay Increases, School District Fills 200 Vacant Places
This shortage is not unique to San Francisco. School districts, especially those in metropolitan areas, are calling this a national crisis.
“Since this is an ongoing challenge, we are expanding our efforts to recruit educators by holding webinars and distributing flyers,” Dudnick added.
Over the summer, the San Francisco and Oakland Unified went so far as to ask families if they knew anyone who wanted to apply for a teaching position.
First Lady Jill Biden told a group of CEOs of several major job search firms, “We know this has been an issue for a long time.
The Biden administration has announced that some of these companies will help districts recruit and hire future teachers.
RELATED: Controversy over adding two Muslim holidays to SFUSD school calendar
Zip Recruiter now has an online job portal dedicated to K to 12 schools.
Indeed is hosting a virtual recruitment fair for educators nationwide.
Handshake shares job vacancies with college students majoring in education.
The First Lady called it a mighty coalition.
“We are all ready to work to make sure our students have the right teachers they need,” Biden said.
RELATED: More kids are repeating grades. Is it good for them?
In the meantime, San Francisco schools continue to push their way into high school teaching programs in the hopes that more students will choose a career as an educator.
Lincoln High School senior Grace Liao is one of them.
“If I were a teacher, I would want my students to be the best they can be. I want my students to reach their full potential. We can help shape it, we can help them,” Liao said.
Retaining teachers is equally important. The First Lady stressed that school districts must give them the salaries and support they need.
If you’re using the ABC7 News app, click here to watch live
Copyright © 2022 KGO-TV. All rights reserved.
