Gilroy
– In a sea of pink slips, Gilroy Unified School District is
casting a net hoping to recruit dozens of new teachers to the
area.
Gilroy – In a sea of pink slips, Gilroy Unified School District is casting a net hoping to recruit dozens of new teachers to the area.
“We are a growing school district, which isn’t unique, but is uncommon,” said Assistant Superintendent Steve Brinkman. “Because so many school districts in California are now downsizing.”
Just last month, East Side Union High School District in San Jose sent out layoff warnings to 325 employees. Its turnover rate of teachers is usually between 100 and 120. And just to the south, Hollister experienced layoff warnings amongst its teaching staff. The fear of job security may have some looking elsewhere.
“Other teachers may see the writing on the wall and move,” Brinkman said. “We should be in a better position to recruit.”
According to Superintendent Edwin Diaz, the district expects between 35 and 40 teaching positions to become available for next year. Ascension Solorsano Middle School alone is adding 11 to its staff. After welcoming its third wave of sixth graders in September, Solorsano will graduate its first eighth grade class.
“The first thing I will do is make sure (candidates) meet the appropriate needs for the school,” said Principal Sal Tomasello. He is interviewing prospective teachers from within GUSD next week with the assistance of his staff. Additional advertisements will be posted online to open the market to outside teachers. A position is not guaranteed for GUSD transfers, they are just the first to be interviewed Tomasello said.
Under the No Child Left Behind Act, by the end of the next school year, all teachers assigned to core subjects need to meet specific credential requirements. Teachers must have at least a bachelor’s degree, hold a state credential or intern certificate and show demonstrated subject matter competence by passing state exams.
Since the 2002/03 school year, the district worked to comply with NCLB standards and has reduced the amount of uncredentialed teachers from 63 to just 14 this year.
“We shoot for all credentials (when hiring), but in areas like math and special education, where there is a shortage of credentialed teachers, we have problems filling those positions,” Diaz said. When credentialed teachers cannot be found, the state allows emergency credentials to be issued instead.
According to the Santa Clara County Office of Education, almost 5 percent of teachers held emergency certifications.
One problem GUSD has in recruiting new teachers is the high cost of living in the Gilroy.
“It makes it really hard to recruit out of state or out of area,” Brinkman said.
As of December, the Dispatch reported that the median price of a new house in Gilroy was $587,000. According to the 2004 American Federation of Teachers report, the average entry-level salary for California teachers was estimated at $35,919. The state’s average teacher salary topped the charts with $55,693.
“Districts don’t generally like to hire highly-seasoned teachers because of its effects on the budget,” Brinkman said. So while younger teachers are hired, its harder for them to afford to stay.
“It’s expensive to live here,” Tomasello said. “I’ve seen many teachers come and go because of it.”
Gilroy does offer various forms of special financing for teachers. But even with special financing, “It is still somewhat unaffordable – especially for new teachers,” Diaz said. “We are currently talking with South County Housing to build more affordable housing for teachers.”
According to Diaz, the human resources department visited college campuses trying to recruit new teachers.
“Interest is high, but when reality hits and they see the cost of living, things change.”
