TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — Meeting a growing need for teachers.
ABC 27 checked with the Florida Education Association. Their data shows across the entire state of Florida. From January 2018 to January 2023, the number of teaching vacancies listed on district websites went from 1,492 to 5,294.
Now, TCC and Leon County Schools are working to turn that number around.
Here's how.
"When I saw that there was a teacher shortage, I mean, I couldn't necessarily fault them, I quite frankly felt sorry for them," said Rebecca Joseph.
Joseph lives in southwest Tallahassee. She has a child in 10th grade. "I realized the teachers were burned out; I noticed these things early on," said Joseph.
It is a trend parents are talking about across the country. one Leon County school superintendent, Rocky Hanna is aware of. ABC 27 asked him how many teachers are needed going into this school year.
"We have less than 50 that are still vacant. Remember we have over 2,000 teachers, so 50 of 2,000 classrooms is not a big number but we’ll work hard to make sure we’re getting highly qualified people in those positions," said Hanna.
Now, Leon County School Board and Tallahassee Community College are working together to fill that gap locally and beyond.
Thursday, they announced a partnership to create a new pipeline of students from high school to community college. The goal is getting more people to graduate into careers in education.
Hanna says the idea built on dual enrollment will open doors for students and fix the need for so many teachers in the process.
"We've talked to kids about many different professions while they're in school, while they're with us education has not been one of them. We will now start having that conversation about choosing education as a career," Hanna said.
A career that could lead to more success in the classroom for students like Joseph’s.
"Yes, this is a good partnership," Joseph said.
The two bachelor of science degree programs will offer intro to education and special topics in education this fall.
