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School's in despite worker shortages
Officials cite housing costs as one of many concerns
By Daniel Hindin
The Sunnyvale Elementary School District began its fall term last week with 45 to 47 faculty positions left unfilled, according to Deputy Superintendent Benjamin Picard.
Picard says that the schools are in "dire need" of workers to fill positions such as instructional aides, physical education aides, food service workers and crossing guards.
"The job market is becoming more competitive," says Picard. "The public sector is different than the private sector. We're not as quick to respond as they are."
The result, in this time of prosperity, is that school workers, who usually make about $10 per hour, are now leaving schools for higher paying jobs. And young people who used to be considered potential school workers are now not even thinking about entering that sort of profession. And school officials say people who already work in the school sector of our economy are having a hard time staying.
"The cost of housing has gotten so expensive that many of our employees can't afford to live in this area. Some have begun moving in together," Picard says.
Picard realizes that the schools have to do things differently to attract enough workers, but he says that it's easier said than done. "We just have to keep advertising and recruiting," he says. "We'll have to raise salaries in order to attract more people to our school district. Right now, we're in the middle of negotiations with two different unions."
Besides competing with the private sector in Silicon Valley, Picard says that it's even hard to compete with the other school districts. "We offer great benefits, state retirement systems, excellent pension plans and a generous holiday and vacation schedule. But because we're tax supported, there is only so much money available. We've begun advertising in the school newsletters looking for mothers who are willing to help out."
Director of Special Education Don Jolly says, "We have begun to put substitute teachers in permanent positions. We're all struggling throughout the entire county. Our district isn't even among the worst off."
Sunnyvale Elementary School District representative Eric Carlson says, "The District usually has 70-80 substitute teachers; right now we have 17. We have floaters at each school now who just wait around for their assignment. If there isn't any substitute to take over, the principal usually takes over. Sometimes classes even have to double up."
Carlson doesn't really know what else they can do. He says that pay for a substitute teacher has climbed all the way up to $173 per day, and they still have no applicants. Carlson says that when he started 11 years ago, there were 30 applicants waiting for the same position, which only paid $75 per day.
On a brighter note, schools are still carrying on as usual; but things are just a little tighter than what they're used to. "It does affect service," says Picard. "But we're doing the best we can.
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Sunnyvale, California Since 1994
