Education Secretary: Intervention necessary in HWH School District
Lack of licensed teachers cited by Key
The Helena-West Helena School District needs state intervention because of a lack of licensed teachers, Arkansas Education Secretary Johnny Key wrote in a letter to the school district.
"The staffing at the elementary school is particularly concerning, with some grade levels having no licensed teachers currently assigned to students," Key wrote in the June 22 letter to assistant superintendent Joyce Anderson and school board president Sanetta Davis, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reported.
The Arkansas Department of Education's Division of Elementary and Secondary Education will recommend that the state Board of Education declare the Helena-West Helena School District in need of Level 5 "intensive support," Key wrote in the letter.
The state board will take up the issue when it meets Thursday in Little Rock.
The issue came up after the school district applied to extend its Act 1240 waiver, which allows it to hire unlicensed teachers.
"After a thorough analysis, the Division has determined that the District's human capital system is still experiencing instability with staffing and irregularities in the master scheduling process," wrote Key.
"There are multiple vacancies that still need to be filled at both the elementary and high schools," he wrote. "Based on information reported by the District, there is concern that the Board of Directors is not considering qualified applicants; and it is unclear whether a high school counselor has been employed.
"The data does not show that the granting of blanket waivers of licensure has provided the District the avenue to attract and retain quality applicants that result in a stable workforce," wrote Key. "It is doubtful, however, that the School District can find licensed candidates for the 2022-2023 school year given the late date for hire and shortage of prepared candidates."
The situation must be closely monitored to ensure that stability is returned to the district's staffing, Key wrote in the letter.
The Office of Coordinated Support and Service will lead the support for the school district, according to Key.
The office will assign a deputy state superintendent to oversee the day-to-day "human capital work and liaise with the District and Division concerning staffing decisions," he wrote.
Also on the state board's agenda for Thursday is the request from Helena-West Helena Superintendent Linda English for an extension of its Act 1240 waiver to continue hiring unlicensed teachers.
The extension would be for one year and would cover both the elementary and high schools – grades 1-12, according to the agenda.
"The Helena West Helena School District is challenged on a yearly basis of recruiting licensed teachers to the district," wrote English. "The teacher shortage in our area is due to many factors, including many teachers retiring, many teachers leaving the profession before retirement, a low number of teacher education graduates, a low number of alternative teacher program candidates, a low teacher pay scale as compared to other parts of the state, and a lack of teachers willing to relocate in our area."
"We try extremely hard to attract and retain the most highly qualified, licensed teachers for our students," wrote English, but "we are faced with the grim reality of the teacher shortage."
"Therefore, we are requesting a waiver for teacher licensure," she wrote. "The waivers we are requesting will allow us to fill classrooms with people who have the passion and the commitment to be a teacher but are not yet licensed. These prospective teachers have a bachelor's degree, which allows them to meet the definition of highly qualified under [Every Student Succeeds Act] requirements."
As of Spring 2022, the Helena-West Helena School District has 23 teachers at the elementary school level hired under the Act 1240 waiver, according to a document in the meeting packet.
"Over the life of the current waiver, we were able to fill numerous positions," wrote English. "Obtaining an Act 1240 waiver will allow us to be innovative in recruiting and training effective professionals and assisting them in becoming licensed teachers. The Act 1240 is an excellent recruitment tool which allows school districts to recruit college graduates willing to enter a non-traditional education program to become a fully licensed teacher."
The current waiver has been very helpful when it comes to recruiting and hiring quality staff to teach our students, wrote English.
"We are a very high poverty school district in a low-income area," she wrote. "The decline in the economy of Phillips County and the surrounding areas has caused a hardship when attempting to convince qualified candidates to choose our district. The district competes for teachers with surrounding areas that have higher salary schedules and housing. The current waiver has allowed us to recruit teacher candidates with content knowledge to fill teaching positions that live in our community.
"The benefit to students is that they have a teacher with knowledge in the content area. These teachers are community members and have a vested interest in our students. We strive to attract the best teachers for our students so that they can learn."
Also, the Act 1240 waiver for licensure allows the school district to recruit and work with individuals who want to become teachers and be a part of our school and community, wrote English.