Unexpected teacher departures pinching some midstate school systems

Add one more problem to the challenges that school systems face these days: Teachers have started changing jobs at a rate that troubles school leaders.

Already this school year, about 100 Bibb County educators have left the system before their contract was up, said Paige Busbee, an assistant superintendent for human resources.

"I think this year, the numbers are higher because of all the requirements that have come down on teachers," she said.

As the focus on test results such as the Georgia Milestones increases, the pay for teachers hasn't. Busbee said educators haven't seen a raise or cost of living increase since 2009.

Still, to try to discourage what Busbee described as "system hopping," the Bibb County school board voted recently to raise the district's breach of contract fee from $500 to $800.

During the 2014-15 school year, 69 of the county's 235 first-year teachers left the district, with about a third of them opting for a better offer in a nearby school system.

"Brand-new, young teachers, maybe they just get here and think it's better somewhere else," Busbee said.

There are exceptions to the fee, such as situations in which an employee's spouse gets a job elsewhere or in case of family health issues.

"We have to look at each case, but we have to really try to be consistent," Busbee said.

Peach County school leaders discussed a similar measure last summer. While a fee hike was never implemented, the Peach County school board saw teachers leaving as late as July, putting the district in a hiring bind just as a new school year approached.

"It's really a deterrent to get people to stay," Peach County Superintendent Daryl Fineran said of the fee last year. "It's not really a money maker or anything."

Representatives of both districts said that losing teachers in the summer -- or even during the school year -- hurts efforts to get the most qualified, committed educators. That, in turn, lead to even more turnover.

"When you're filling positions at the last minute, you're maybe not getting the best candidates to begin with," Busbee said.

While Houston County Superintendent Mark Scott said his district hasn't faced the large numbers of late resignations other districts have seen, those incidents do happen.

When they do, the main goal is getting a replacement in the classroom for the sake of students and their families who want to know their teachers.

"We've asked people to stay until we can find a replacement," he said.

If that concession isn't given and there are no extenuating circumstance, teachers can be reported to the Professional Standards Commission, the state's educator accountability agency.

"A teacher could be putting their certificate at risk by breaking their contract," Scott said.

Of course, the main goal is to create an environment in which teachers want to work through at least the end of the year's contract. Besides competitive salary and benefits, which includes a fitness center membership, Houston County tries to provide support from administrators and the school board, Scott said.

"I think you have to work with the teachers that any ... perception they have, you're addressing those needs," he said.

Help could be on the way. Gov. Nathan Deal has proposed increased funding for school systems with a 3 percent cost-of-living raise for Georgia's more than 200,000 certified teachers. One issue, though, said Bibb County Chief Financial Officer Ron Collier, is that the proposal doesn't cover classified employees such as front office staff.

"The question is what happens to those employees?" he asked.

On top of that, the cost for certified employees' health insurance is expected to go up another $100 per month, a cost that lands squarely on the county. That will eat into whatever additional funding districts receive.

"It did this year, and it will again," Collier said.

While the funding may not go directly to teacher raises the way educators and state leaders would like, Collier said the district would be glad to receive it and recognized the importance of being competitive on salaries.

"We are thankful for the increase, if in fact the increase does come."

To contact writer Jeremy Timmerman, call 744-4331 or find him on Twitter@MTJTimm.

This story was originally published January 29, 2016 at 4:24 PM with the headline "Unexpected teacher departures pinching some midstate school systems ."