DELAWARE - The Delaware State Education Association is predicting there will be 400 fewer teachers this year statewide. Two bills signed by Gov. John Carney on Wednesday could change that. Advocates say the bills remove financial barriers.
Right now paraprofessionals who want to be teachers would have to start at the bottom of the pay scale and work their way back up, which is a pay cut sometimes. Senate Bill 156 will change that by allowing them to receive partial credit towards their experience on the teacher salary scale when they make the switch to teaching. Meanwhile, House Bill 138 aims to get more teachers in Delaware schools by allowing hopeful teachers to take on paid positions.
"I think it's a perfect storm of rising student enrollment, high teacher turnover, that is really caused by low pay, burnout, stressful classroom environments," says Delaware State Education Association Director of Legislative and Political Strategy Taylor Hawk.
House Bill 138 aims to help by creating a pilot program between Wilmington University and Appoquinimink School District. Gov. Carney signed the bill today. Hawk thinks this is a long-term solution and that Senate Bill 156, which Carney also signed today, will allow paraprofessionals to transition to teaching without having to take a pay cut.
"Especially during COVID, paraprofessionals were stepping up to cover classrooms," Hawk says. "They are giving one-on-one instruction, they are giving small group instruction, they're providing support to students with special needs."
Beach Babies Child Care President Sean Toner thinks this is a good start, but says the legislation doesn't help educators who teach preschool or younger.
"We cannot transfer state to state because a lot of the same credits won't transfer be able to transfer over, which is what this bill is trying to avoid in the public school district," Toner says.
Three classrooms remain closed at the Beach Babies Lewes location and Toner says they hope they don't have to close a fourth one.
"We're losing teachers like we haven't seen before that are just leaving the industry," Toner says.
According to the legislation, the pilot program created by HB 138 will be expanded if interest and funding are available for future school years. Regardless, Hawk says it's the salary that will keep teachers from leaving the state or industry.