Broward Superintendent Licata addresses teacher shortage before start of year
FORT LAUDERDALE - In just about two weeks, Broward public school students will start a new year.
In that time, the district still needs to fill a number of roles, from teachers to bus drivers.
Broward is the sixth largest school district in the country and the second largest in the state. The district has more than 250,000 students. It has 240 schools and 87 charter schools.
Newly appointed school Superintendent Dr. Peter Licata said as they prepare for the new year, they have their work cut out for them.
"So, open teacher positions are over 200, that falls up and down all day long. Our HR staff is running around crazy, working all hours of the night trying to get folks cleared. But as you know, some folks wait until the end before they change jobs. We need the folks on vacation down here to understand it's a little warm now but gets a little cooler all the rest of the month. If they are enjoying the sun, they need to stay and jump on the bandwagon. Broward is the place to be, we'd love to hire you," he said.
Licata said they still have quite a few openings when it comes to bus drivers, cafe staff, and other non-instructional positions.
"We need everyone here. Our school board has tasked me to make sure that we are the highest paid in all positions. So that's been the focus. We're going to be real close this year and next year we definitely will be. So we really are looking forward to seeing that we are meeting the needs of the communities and trying to keep up with the cost of living," he said.
School board member Allan Zeman has proposed increasing salaries to six figures for teachers and Licata has said that he would look into it.
"We are going to get there. We are pretty close right now. Our school board is fully supportive of it. Here's the thing, I am not so sure it's a teacher shortage, it's a shortage of teachers that aren't teaching any longer. There are a lot of activities outside of the classroom that make it more difficult. There are a lot more enticing career opportunities that may pay better. Remember, teaching pays well in the heart too, you know you can't take it with you. So, as I always say, there's never a U-Haul behind a funeral procession. So you want to make sure you have that enjoyment and that intrinsic value and that's what teaching it about," he said.
However, he said, they can't just lean on that, they have to pay them well, and that's what they are working on.
Licata said they are making plans if they can't fill all of the open positions.
"Teaching-wise, we will have all of the classes covered. Our teachers are so involved in the school they don't want to see a class uncovered. We want kids to see their teacher the first day so we're going to make sure that happens. We have a great substitute system and we have a contractor who assists us with that," he said.
As for the shortage of bus drivers.
"We are going to make sure that bus routes are possibly combined or they're double back. We are trying to communicate with the folks as much as possible, but over the last five or six years the history of the bus routes has been phenomenal. The opening day of Broward has been phenomenal and I will continue that streak," said Licata.
As for the new controversial state standard on the teaching of Black history, Licata said they will address that. He said he has a meeting Thursday morning with the state and the other superintendents from across the state where they will bring it up.
"We teach what are part of the standards that they are tested on. We feel we have a big role to play in that and we have to have our voices heard in Tallahassee. We also understand that the material for students has to be appropriate, it has to be true and correct. We want to make sure that we are in that zone. We are in that zone when we are teaching true and correct, we are in that zone when we are teaching the standards, and we are also in the zone of making sure we are teaching the appropriate materials to the appropriate age groups," he said.
