Florida’s teacher shortage is improving. That’s in part because of new incentives at the state and local level that make it easier to attract new teachers and retain veteran ones.
The Florida Department of Corrections is doing its part to fill open teacher positions in its agency by providing a one-time $1,000 hiring bonus.
Teachers aides, career and technical education teachers, adult education teachers, and special ed teachers who are hired at an department facility will receive these bonuses.
Amy Frizzell, the department's director of programs and reentry, says certified teachers start at $51,500 dollars a year, and the work they do has a lasting impression on the students.
“When you talk to these individuals that have been previously incarcerated with us, the one thing that they will tell you is that someone changed their life, and many times that is the correctional educator,” said Frizzell. “The heart of educators, as everyone knows, is immeasurable. They want to see good, and they want to do good, and the work that's done inside of our facilities by our correctional educators is unmatched.”
Frizzell said the Corrections Department is looking to fill 55 vacancies at 50 facilities. Educators teach a range of topics, from reading skills and math to career and technical education that may include cosmetology, computer coding and welding.
“There is a very broad spectrum, but our academic educators focus more on adult basic education and GED preparation,” said Frizzell.
Teachers are eligible for full state benefits, including retirement and paid training.
Candidates without their teacher certification can still be hired on a contingent basis as long as they can prove they are working on getting their credential.
As state workers, anyone hired while working on their certification or other degrees can apply for tuition reimbursement up to six credit hours a semester.
The Corrections Department isn’t the only area providing incentives to attract and retain teachers in Florida’s educational institutions.
Gov. Ron DeSantis has proposed a record $29.7 billion for education in this year’s state budget. Of that, $1.5 billion are earmarked for teacher salaries in K-12 schools and another $10 million will provide bonuses for K-12 teachers who complete the Florida Civics Seal of Excellence.
Several Florida colleges and universities have joined recruitment efforts by offering new teacher training programs.
At the midway point of the school year, there were some 3,000 open teaching positions in Florida. That’s an improvement from the same time the previous school year, when there were more than 4,000.
Despite these advancements in addressing shortages, the number of educators teaching subjects or grade levels they’re not certified to teach has continued to rise in Florida.
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