Across the country, school systems have been hard hit amid a nationwide teacher shortage. DeSoto ISD is not unique to this concern given the impact of the COVID-19 global health pandemic on the teacher workforce.
While the district’s Human Resources team has worked tirelessly to find and develop teachers to resolve vacancies, like many school districts, DeSoto ISD continues to experience staffing concerns.
Following recommendations of the Board of Trustees to explore the placement of central staff in district classrooms, district administrators began reviewing staff members’ credentials to initiate the process of reassigning staff to classroom assignments. As an added measure, administrators met with central staff on Monday, October 4, 2021, to discuss a volunteer-based substitute pool of central office staffers.
Many central office employees were excited to assist and looked forward to the opportunity to serve students directly.
“When I first heard the idea, I fully understood why we were being called to support campuses. Many districts are turning to members of the central office to support campus needs because of the current challenges regarding personnel across the nation,” DeSoto ISD A2E2 Elementary Strategist Elexia Robinson-White whose department had already created campus support schedules in light of district staffing concerns.
DeSoto ISD Superintendent of Schools Dr. D’Andre Weaver underscored the effort emphasizing that students and learning are the core of our work in school systems and that focus will remain the district’s priority.
“We are all educators here in DeSoto ISD,” said Weaver. “Whether we work in the business office or on the research team, everything we do is pointed towards serving students and their families. The decision to utilize central staff in this way is a testament to our commitment to serving students and being responsive in this time of national crisis.”
As the district navigates staffing amid the national teacher shortage, DeSoto ISD will continue to explore more creative means to recruit and hire teaching staff including use of its hiring incentives made possible by ESSER funding.
To learn more about hiring opportunities in DeSoto ISD, visit www.DeSotoISD.org/Employment.