Schools are over 99 percent fully staffed

When public school starts on Monday, Aug. 22, there will be “a certificated adult in every classroom,” said Superintendent Michelle Reid.

Fairfax County Public Schools are “over 99 percent fully staffed,” Reid said during a virtual community meeting Aug. 17. FCPS is still hiring, though.

The school system has been struggling with a teacher shortage, so Reid has had to make some adjustments.

Educators in the central office or other FCPS facilities and schools have been temporarily reassigned to classrooms until permanent replacements have been hired.

“Most of our teachers in classrooms this fall are properly licensed and endorsed,” said Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources Sherry Wilson. Some of them, however, have licenses from other states that are being converted to Virginia licenses.  

FCPS launched a Teacher Resident program this summer that allows teacher candidates to begin teaching while they complete the necessary requirements, such as completing a few required classes, finishing a teacher preparation program, or renewing an expired license.  

There are fewer than 200 educators in the Teacher Resident program, while FCPS has more than 15,000 classroom teachers.

Class size won’t be increased, Reid said, and there won’t be a teacher shortage in enrichment classes. To fill the need for world language educators, FCPS is working on forming teacher exchange programs with other countries.

Mentors will be assigned to help new teachers, and retirees will also provide coaching and support.

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FCPS has a three-phase approach to staffing, Reid said. The first phase is a short-term plan to get the best educators in the classroom on the first day of school. The mid-range strategy involves hiring permanent people for classroom teaching positions, and the long-term plan calls for thinking about hiring differently to ensure a smooth start in future years.

The teacher shortage has been predicted for the past decade, Reid noted, as “expectations for educators have continued to grow.” Meanwhile, the number of graduates in education has declined.

Reid encourages teachers interested in joining FCPS to apply. If applicants have degrees from other countries, FCPS will help them get certified.

It’s particularly difficult to fill STEM positions, as there’s a large pay differential for college graduates with STEM credentials working for a private company versus a school system.

Those who choose to teach “are drawn to work that is important and brings joy,” Reid said. “We’re working to make sure our STEM teachers and all teachers are fairly compensated.”

Teaching is “the most important profession in the world,” she said, but teachers might not feel they’re getting the respect they deserve. “We need to think, as a nation, about how we value education.”