Some Districts Rethink Last-Minute Teacher Hiring

Bethany Guthard, one of 300 teachers hired this summer by the Charlotte-Mecklenburg, N.C., school system, gives a lesson at Huntingtowne Farms Elementary School.

—John W. Adkisson for Education Week

Studies find downsides to hiring teachers after the school year starts

By Christina A. Samuels

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg district recently found itself in a situation other districts might envy in a time of tight fiscal constraints.

The 133,600-student district in North Carolina faced budget cuts this year, but, thanks to some last-minute changes, less money was taken away from the school system than originally anticipated. That welcome news sent the district into a hiring frenzy before the Aug. 25 start of classes. About 300 teachers signed on two weeks before school began. By Sept. 12, the district still had about 80 vacancies, for which principals were actively recruiting but had not yet identified a candidate.

Despite reports of teacher layoffs around the country, districts in some places are still hiring, and, in some cases, that hiring has continued into the start of the school year. Hiring may even pick up later in the year if federal lawmakers approve President Barack Obama’s jobs bill with its promise to restore education jobs. ( "Potential Impact of Obama Jobs Proposal Under Scrutiny," ...