A new survey suggests that up to a quarter of open teaching positions in Arizona were vacant at the end of August. Officials in the participating districts filled many with candidates that did not meet standard teaching requirements.
The Arizona School Personnel Administrators Association (ASPAA) report that 130 school districts and charter schools participated in this year’s survey. Participants reported they had more than 8,000 openings to fill for the 2016-2017 school year.
Justin Wing, the organization’s president, said the results are not surprising given the ongoing teacher shortage in Arizona.
"The long-term solution is to pay teachers like we pay other college degreed professionals in the state and the nation," said Wing.
ASPAA’s survey also found that roughly 450 teachers either didn’t report to work or resigned within the first four weeks of school.
