JAMESTOWN, N.Y. (WKBW) — There are job opportunities in almost every department of local school districts. On buses, in the cafeteria and on cleaning duty, but there’s also a big need in classrooms.
"When you have a district that’s our size, plus 4,000 students, we need to supervise and teach those students, so in order to do that we need a good pool of substitutes," said John Panebianco, Director of Human Resources John Panebianco.
Two thirds of schools in the country are facing teacher shortages, according to a study by Frontline Education.
Jamestown Schools have a number of open positions, including substitute teachers. Panebianco says they always need subs, but this year, it’s more likely they’ll need people on standby.
"It’s important for us to have enough substitutes in the district to cover if staff can’t be in buildings, for example in cases of illness. It’s also important to assure that the district is following CDC and health department guidelines," said Panebianco.
He says it’s tough finding people when schools everywhere have the same needs.
"Nationally, it’s difficult to fill all positions in all districts and we’re no different than everybody else, we have a certain pool of applicants and everyone's trying to get those applicants in our district," said Panebianco.
Jamestown Public Schools also needs music teachers, Spanish teachers and special education teachers. It’s a similar situation in Niagara falls and in some cases not having these positions filled is not an option.
"There are special needs in pre-k classrooms, in a pre-k class having two associates in the classroom is a necessity according to the regulations, so we need everyone," said Mark Laurrie, Superintendent of the Niagara Falls City School District.
Panebianco says Jamestown schools are working on competitive wages to attract applicants. Pay for substitute teachers varies based on certification and ranges from $85 to $105/day, according to their website.
They need these teachers before the first day of school on September 1.
For more information on JPS jobs, click here, email: HR@jpsny.org or call 716-483-4350.
Niagara Falls City School District is hosting job fairs on August 24-26.
