MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (WTVF) — The country’s labor shortage continues to impact so many industries, like public schools.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, state and local public education employment continues to decline.
Rutherford County Schools is hoping the incentives offered will bring highly qualified candidates to Saturday’s virtual Teacher Recruitment Fair.
The district is offering sign-on bonuses for new hires of up to $5,000 on top of the salary they negotiate.
These bonuses are being offered for the hard-to-staff areas, which include sixth through 12th grade math, English, ESL, and more.
A survey from the Economic Policy Institute reports the number of employed K-12 teachers fell by 6.8%, school bus drivers nearly 15%, and custodians by 6%.
Rutherford County Schools hope the district's reputation and high performance will encourage more people to work with the district.
“We're looking for someone that's driven and very passionate about education. Also, you know, helping our students to grow and that really wants to just give back to the community because it's about community impact when you're working at a school,” said Andrea Anthony, Rutherford County Schools assistant superintendent for human resources.
The district is having its virtual teacher recruitment fair Saturday from 9 a.m. until 11 a.m.
Anthony said attending the virtual fair can help you stand out.
For more information and to get registered for the Teacher Recruitment Fair, click here.
