Unable to hire a middle school science teacher for the fall, the Walnut Grove district had to get creative.
The 270-student district in northwest Greene County recently sent a letter to parents letting them know that the 60 middle school students will take an online science course offered through the Springfield Public Schools’ Launch program.
The online course will be taught by a qualified science teacher during the regular school day. In addition, the district hired a student teacher to be in the classroom to support the students learning online.
In an Aug. 11 letter, Superintendent Adam Willard told parents: “We feel this is our best option at this point.”
“We are facing a nationwide teacher shortage and we are feeling it here in Walnut Grove as well,” he wrote.
In a Tuesday interview, Willard said the district has long felt “sheltered and protected” by having a veteran teaching staff with limited turnover. He said the inability to quickly find a middle school science teacher was a wake-up call.
“This type of situation hadn’t hit home here yet. But now that it’s happened here we have to be ready,” he said.
“We know that moving forward that with a lack of candidates even going into the field of education, this could happen to us again.”
More:In Springfield Public Schools, 257 teachers exited last year. Most were resignations.
Here is how the situation unfolded. In the spring, the middle school science teacher — a part-time position with full-time benefits — resigned.
The district advertised the position but did not receive any qualified applicants.
Growing concerned, the district reached out to school leaders in the Ozarks and found a qualified, experienced candidate. That individual took the job, which pays up to $25,000 a year to teach just three courses, then backed out in late July.
Willard hoped to hire a retired middle school teacher, able to work part-time hours under state rules, to fill the job, a set-up that has worked in the past But, finding a retiree was not successful.
“In a typical hiring environment, we would not have any issues finding somebody to fill that spot,” he said.
He said the district talked to candidates certified to teach in areas other than science but did not make a hire.
“We don’t want to just put somebody in there that does not have strong content background,” Willard said. “What we like about Launch is that we know the content is going to be very solid and it’s going to be an up-to-date curriculum.”
The popularity of Launch, created roughly a dozen years ago in the Springfield district, grew significantly during the pandemic. It now partners with and provides services to more than 370 Missouri districts.
Walnut Grove used Launch as a virtual learning option during the start of the pandemic. Last year, with most students learning in person, Launch remained an option for those seeking credit recovery.
More:Springfield Public Schools spends $2M to give online Launch program a permanent home
For this fall, the district will pay a flat fee for each middle school student enrolled in the science course.
“It is a great solution for the situation we are in with such a short time window,” he said.
The student teacher hired to assist the online course is Mason Sanders, the high school baseball coach, who is studying to be a physical education teacher.
In the letter, Willard told parents: “We will be evaluating the program throughout the first semester and if we feel this is not in the best interest of our students, we will do everything in our power to locate a qualified teacher as soon as possible.”
Willard invited parents with questions or concerns to reach out but has not heard from any yet. “We just did not want them to be blindsided.”
He said the district still hopes to hire a part-time middle school science teacher for the spring semester and will reach out to new college graduates and retirees in late 2022.
But given the ongoing teacher shortages, Willard said the district is relieved to have the Launch option.
“We’re curious to see how it works in case this does become a new normal for Walnut Grove,” he said.
Claudette Riley is the education reporter for the News-Leader. Email news tips to criley@news-leader.com.