As families prepare for school to start, school districts across Connecticut have been working throughout the summer to hire more teachers and fill their open positions.
Right now, there are hundreds of teacher openings.
| District | Number of open teaching positions |
| Bridgeport Public Schools | 150 |
| Consolidated School District of New Britain | 46 |
| East Hartford Public Schools | 6 |
| Hartford Public Schools | 60 |
| New Haven Public Schools | 105 |
| New London Public Schools | 20 |
| Norwich Public Schools | 10 |
| Putnam Public Schools | 4 |
| Waterbury Public Schools | 100 |
| Windham Public Schools | 19 |
One of the specialties in desperate need of more qualified teachers is special education.
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“You just keep your focus on the students and that's what gets me through each day. I did the best job that I could do, but it is a lot,” said Lauren Serafino, a special education teacher in Bloomfield Public Schools.
Serafino has worked with children with significant special needs and despite having 19 years of experience, she said the job continues to become more challenging.
“The percentage of students is definitely increasing and what is also increasing is the actual needs themselves. They're becoming more severe and that's difficult,” said Serafino.
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Serafino said it’s difficult because as she works to follow each child’s individualized education plan (IEP), she works with the math or science teachers to modify the curriculum, manages paraprofessionals, communicates with parents and teaches the subject matter to the kids.
Joslyn DeLancey, the vice president of the Connecticut Education Association (CEA), one of the largest teaching unions in the state, said it’s challenges like the ones Serafino addressed that are leading to more and more teachers leaving the profession.
Over the last legislative session, the CEA advocated for more state funding to go to underserved districts to help lower class sizes and boost teacher salaries.
But DeLancey said the CEA observed numerous times that when districts direct the money elsewhere, they struggle to fill positions.
“That means larger class sizes, that means combining classes, that means teachers taking on extra course loads beyond what their typical workday would look like. And all of that adds to a struggle of how much care we can give to each of our students,” said DeLancey.
At the elementary level, that means combining classrooms and increasing class size from 24 to 30 students, for example. Students are also missing out on specials.
“Students are not being able to get their art class or their music class. So not only does the teacher lose their prep time, but the students lose access to that special activity, which they really thrive with,” DeLancey said.
At the middle or high school level, teachers have been directed to pick up additional sections. That’s another 25 students to teach and grade throughout the year and less prep time for that teacher, according to DeLancey.
“It really does impact the quality of instruction that we can give and the time that we take to really support each student,” said Delancey.
As the districts work to fill their vacancies, DeLancey said the state has created a task force to look specifically at how to improve special education. It’s a process that will take time but is worth it for the students, their families and those who teach or want to teach.
“Just know that it is one of the most rewarding things you can possibly do,” said Serafino.
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