SHELBY COUNTY, Tenn — The school year for MSCS is just weeks away, and the district is still trying to fill hundreds of teacher vacancies.
Memphis-Shelby County Schools is hosting an all-day hiring blitz Saturday in Jackson, Mississippi. This follows two other virtual hiring fairs this week as the search for qualified teachers continues in the Mid-South.
“It's a race against the clock to see if they’re going to be able to meet the need on the day that the doors open,” said Cardell Orrin, the executive director of Stand for Children Tennessee.
MSCS District Superintendent Dr. Marie Feagins put out the call for educators across the South to come to Memphis in a video posted online by the district on Friday, just weeks away from the start of the new school year.
“I'm calling on leaders just like you to go the distance with us on behalf of the more than 115,000 students and growing,” she said.
Orrin supports the efforts the district is making to fill the gaps and believes they will do so successfully, but notes it does come with its own challenges.
“Being able to recruit teachers from other places here is definitely a pathway,” he said. “Also, recognizing that many of the cities we’re going to also have teacher shortages because it's a national issue we’re seeing, not just something that’s concentrated here in Memphis.”
Experts warn bringing in teachers from out of the area can be extremely costly, and they often don’t stay long.
“To recruit a teacher, it’s taking about 20,000 dollars per teacher to recruit them,” said JC Bowman, Executive Director of Professional Educators of Tennessee. “You’re almost better off getting people who’ve retired trying to entice them to come back.”
With just weeks to go before the start of the school year, Bowman is worried the problem is getting worse.
“They're going to open with the openings. There's no doubt that there's going to be a shortage.” Bowman said. “I think you’ve got to go back and recruit your retired teachers.”
The first day of school for MSCS is Aug. 5.