RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) – Exactly one month ago, Superintendent Jason Kamras proposed multiple recruiting activities to fill 209 vacant teacher positions. The activities included a $10,000 incentive for new teachers and a $1,000 incentive for teacher retention in the fall.
As of Aug. 15, Richmond Public Schools announced that 144 teacher vacancies still remain. However, Kamras said long-term substitute teachers would fill 100 positions. The school system plans to continue actively hiring new teachers throughout the school year until the long-term substitutes become full-time teachers.
“So we do believe between long-term [substitute teachers], additional hires over the next two weeks and some leveling of positions that we will have every single class covered on the first day of school,” Kamras said.
Richmond Public Schools also addressed the staff shortage among other critical roles in the school system. Since July, the school system has reduced custodian vacancies from 13 to two, and food service assistants from 67 to 22. All bus driver positions have been filled after 18 new drivers were hired in the last month.
To read more of Kamras’s statements regarding the staffing shortages, click BELOW:
