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School district struggles to find teachers
Douglas County School District faces another difficult year filling its vacant teaching positions, said Jack Kronser, director for human resources.
By By: Susan Dage-Ruby
Douglas County School District faces another difficult year filling its vacant teaching positions, said Jack Kronser, director for human resources.
For many years, the economy was such that there were more jobs than people looking for work, except in the teaching field. With the recent changes in the economy, unemployment has been on the rise.
The increase in the unemployed looking for work doesn't trickle down to the school district in the form of teachers.
"There are a lot of high-tech unemployed people looking at teaching as an alternative," Kronser said. "Alternative licensing will help recruit those who are ready to move into a teaching career."
Alternative licensing is for those who have earned a bachelor's degree and are now interested in translating their life's experience into a teaching career, said Bruce Caughey, spokesman for the district.
Kronser cautioned that alternative licensing takes time.
Those interested in an alternative license must first take a Program for Licensing Assessments for Colorado Educators' test. The next PLACE test is May 19.
The test evaluates applicants' proficiency in the areas they want to teach, Kronser said.
"It takes about six months to get into the classroom," he said. "The results of the next PLACE test won't be available until June. In most cases that's too late to hire for the 2002-03 school year."
The supply of recent graduate teachers is down, Kronser said, which also can be found in other states.
Several school districts in California recently came to Colorado to recruit teachers.
California was offering $34,000 to start as a beginning teacher, with a $5,000 signing bonus, $2,500 for moving expenses and $1,500 in housing allowances, said Kronser, who also said he acted as a spy to see what California school districts were offering.
"That package looks pretty good to a recent graduate," Kronser said. "Beginning salaries in Colorado are pitiful."
Colorado can't compete with the salaries, he said, but it can offer better quality of living and Douglas County can offer a school district that is referred to as one of the top two or three districts in the state by other teachers and associates.
At a recent job fair in Denver, Kronser said more than 800 veteran teachers from all over the country came there, wanting to move to Colorado.
To hire the teachers needed Douglas County needs to be competitive not only with other states but also neighboring school districts.
"Colorado schools are not graduating enough teachers to cover the teaching positions in the Denver metro area," Caughey said.
The district plans on processing more than 2,000 applications before it finds the 400-500 teachers who are needed to fill all positions, Kronser said.
"We are out there beating the bushes," Kronser said. "The better we get the word out about us the more qualified teachers we find."
To speed the application process, the school district has an application available on its Web site at www.dcsd.k12.co.us, Kronser said.
"About 80 percent of the applications we get are from the Web site," he said.
The district also opened a recruiting office at 300 Plaza Drive, Suite No. 200, in Highlands Ranch. Applications can be picked up there.
For more information on the alternative license programs call (303) 471-3397.
For many years, the economy was such that there were more jobs than people looking for work, except in the teaching field. With the recent changes in the economy, unemployment has been on the rise.
The increase in the unemployed looking for work doesn't trickle down to the school district in the form of teachers.
"There are a lot of high-tech unemployed people looking at teaching as an alternative," Kronser said. "Alternative licensing will help recruit those who are ready to move into a teaching career."
Alternative licensing is for those who have earned a bachelor's degree and are now interested in translating their life's experience into a teaching career, said Bruce Caughey, spokesman for the district.
Kronser cautioned that alternative licensing takes time.
Those interested in an alternative license must first take a Program for Licensing Assessments for Colorado Educators' test. The next PLACE test is May 19.
The test evaluates applicants' proficiency in the areas they want to teach, Kronser said.
"It takes about six months to get into the classroom," he said. "The results of the next PLACE test won't be available until June. In most cases that's too late to hire for the 2002-03 school year."
The supply of recent graduate teachers is down, Kronser said, which also can be found in other states.
Several school districts in California recently came to Colorado to recruit teachers.
California was offering $34,000 to start as a beginning teacher, with a $5,000 signing bonus, $2,500 for moving expenses and $1,500 in housing allowances, said Kronser, who also said he acted as a spy to see what California school districts were offering.
"That package looks pretty good to a recent graduate," Kronser said. "Beginning salaries in Colorado are pitiful."
Colorado can't compete with the salaries, he said, but it can offer better quality of living and Douglas County can offer a school district that is referred to as one of the top two or three districts in the state by other teachers and associates.
At a recent job fair in Denver, Kronser said more than 800 veteran teachers from all over the country came there, wanting to move to Colorado.
To hire the teachers needed Douglas County needs to be competitive not only with other states but also neighboring school districts.
"Colorado schools are not graduating enough teachers to cover the teaching positions in the Denver metro area," Caughey said.
The district plans on processing more than 2,000 applications before it finds the 400-500 teachers who are needed to fill all positions, Kronser said.
"We are out there beating the bushes," Kronser said. "The better we get the word out about us the more qualified teachers we find."
To speed the application process, the school district has an application available on its Web site at www.dcsd.k12.co.us, Kronser said.
"About 80 percent of the applications we get are from the Web site," he said.
The district also opened a recruiting office at 300 Plaza Drive, Suite No. 200, in Highlands Ranch. Applications can be picked up there.
For more information on the alternative license programs call (303) 471-3397.
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