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Amid a contentious race to fill three vacant board seats, Suffolk Public Schools is grappling with the even bigger challenge of staffing nearly 200 vacancies across the district. 

Among those vacancies, Suffolk reported 87 certified teaching positions as vacant at the start of the current school term, which represents 8.64% of the division’s certified teaching staff, according to Virginia Department of Elections data. In the latest vacancy report released by VDOE, Virginia’s vacancy rate is at 3.86% for school year 2023-2024.

Division Superintendent Dr. John B. Gordon III says, he and other district leaders are actively working to curtail the shortage.

“SPS offered an $1,800 [sign-on] bonus for all vacant teaching positions, and an additional $500 for some of our schools with a higher number of vacancies,” he said. Gordon also touted the recent success of the district’s partnership with iTeach, a Texas-based alternative teacher certification program. “We currently have 48 teacher candidates in the program, which has already produced 22 teachers,” Gordon said. Those who complete the program are contractually tied to Suffolk Public Schools for an additional two years.

Several other districts throughout Hampton Roads are facing deficits of their own. Norfolk reported the highest number of vacancies, with 367 unfilled teaching positions. Portsmouth and Newport News followed closely behind with 124 and 114 open positions, respectively. While neighboring Isle of Wight County reported only six vacant teaching roles, Gordon says this may be due to a difference in reporting standards. “SPS still provides vacancy information in the traditional manner, meaning that if we do not have a certified teacher… we still consider that position as vacant.” Gordon said several positions have been temporarily filled by long-term substitutes.

In October, the US Department of Education awarded nearly $9 million to the Tidewater Education Consortium, which consists of the Suffolk, Portsmouth, and Isle of Wight school districts. Known as a Teacher Quality Partnership (TQP) grant, these funds support the recruitment, preparation, and professional development of teachers. “This funding provides critical financial support as we work to ensure that our schools are staffed with well-qualified teachers,” said Dr. Theo Cramer, Superintendent of Isle of Wight County Schools. Beyond addressing the immediate shortage of teachers, district leaders hope the grant will create a sustainable pipeline of talent that will serve students and communities in the long term.

Gordon said the district’s share of grant money will support the SPS partnership with Norfolk State University to sponsor ten teacher assistants in their pursuit of professional licensure.

Concurrently with these ongoing projects, SPS is actively recruiting at colleges and universities along the East Coast and will hold a virtual job fair on Nov. 20. According to the district’s website, participants will interview with members of the human resources team and may be offered a job on-the-spot. Interested candidates are encouraged to register online or call 757-925-6758 for more information.