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The slowing economy may have a hidden benefit; school districts are finding it easier to fill teaching positions.
School-district human-resource directors say a combination of a slowing economy and job candidates with alternative licenses is increasing applicant pools for teaching positions, helping to avoid the teacher shortage some districts encountered last year when they struggled to fill hard-to-staff positions in areas such as special education and mathematics.
"So far I think this has been a good year for us," said John Spencer the administrator of human resources for Alpine School District. "We're hoping that our good fortune continues. This has been a good hiring season for us."
He said he's looking for at least three special-education teachers and at least nine elementary-school teachers before school begins in the fall.
The slowing economy may be to blame for the good hiring season by forcing teachers working in other industries to come back to teaching because that's where jobs are.
Bob Gentry, director of personnel for Provo School District, is waiting for a spike in applicants soon.
"We haven't seen the wave on that yet, but I anticipate that to occur," Gentry said. "[The] next real rush is December. That's when I think we'll see the enhancement, the number of applicants going up."
Applicants for hard-to-fill positions are still scarce. Gentry said he isn't seeing the applicants he would like to see for some mathematics teaching positions, and special-education teachers are always difficult to find.
"Anybody I can interview for that I interview," Gentry said.
In 2004, the state started offering classes for people wanting to teach who already had bachelor's degrees but not in education. The program, called alternative routes to licensure, has been gaining popularity.
"The program has grown significantly over the past three years," said state education specialist James Schindler. The state offered an alternative licensure for a long time, but only since the state started offering classes outside of a typical university schedule has the program taken off. The districts can tell.
In the Nebo School District, where teacher shortages haven't been as large of a problem, human resources director Al Mosher said more teachers are taking the alternative route.
"We're seeing quite a few of these people applying," Mosher said.
Spencer said alternative licenses have been helping in Alpine as well as bringing practical experience to the classroom.
• Brittani Lusk can be reached at 344-2549 or
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