Some Utah School Districts Still Facing Teacher Shortage

None by Eric Ray

(KCPW News) Many of the state's children are headed back to school next week and several school districts, including the Jordan and Granite districts, still need to fill out their roster of teachers for the year.

The Jordan School District is nearly 70 teachers short. Twenty-eight of those openings are for special-education teachers and 14 more are for elementary school teachers.

District representatives overwhelmingly point to Utah's low teacher salaries as part of the reason for the shortage. The state's universities are producing fewer teachers, and surrounding states, like Arizona, Colorado and Montana, offer higher salaries.

This year, the Jordan District heavily recruited teachers from the Midwest because those universities have a surplus of teaching graduates. Melinda Colton, Director of Communications for the Jordan School District, says teacher salaries in the Midwest are 40% to 50% higher than in Utah. As a result, they must sell recruits on the state's lifestyle and the district's mentor and professional development programs.

To listen to a conversation about Utah's teacher shortages, download a podcast of today's Midday Metro.

Email to a friendPosted in KCPW Newsroom. Copyright 2008 KCPW