Anne Arundel County Public Schools superintendent starts new job amid staffing crisis
BALTIMORE -- Anne Arundel County's new public schools superintendent is still in his first month on the job.
The former teacher turned superintendent says between retirements, the coronavirus pandemic, and promotions, many teachers are leaving the classroom—just as he did.
"I ended up moving into administration although my ultimate goal was to be a career teacher," Dr. Mark Bedell said.
Now, teacher vacancies are high on Bedell's list of concerns.
"Every week we're putting out data on all of our vacancies, people will not be able to help you if they don't know what the problem is," Bedell said.
As of last week, his district was short more than 300 teachers, 67 bus drivers, more than 200 food service workers, 87 custodians, and 57 crossing guards.
The abundance of staff vacancies means that Anne Arundel County Public Schools will need to get creative.
"I don't want to try to dodge whatever accountability comes with that," Bedell said. "But this is the reality that we're dealing with."
All vacancies are concerning to a superintendent, but none more so than teacher vacancies.
"The most alarming will always be around what's happening in the classroom," Bedell said. "You need certified teachers in your classroom, but you also need to have the ability to ensure that kids get to the school to get in front of those certified teachers."