CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – Less than a week out from the start of school, thanks to a series of hiring events, Clarksville-Montgomery County School System’s hiring gap of 150 certified staffing positions has been reduced to 70.

CMCSS has been struggling to maintain full staffing since the 2018-19 school year, when the district had a shortage of 30 educators.

At that time, CMCSS developed a partnership with Austin Peay State University to develop the “Grow Our Own” program. That program has been so successful it caught the attention of state officials, who are working to implement Grow Your Own in every school statewide.

Of those 70 openings, 10 are in elementary schools, 20 in middle schools and 40 in high schools, district spokesman Anthony Johnson told Clarksville Now.

“Special education and secondary math and science are the areas of greatest need, and the principals are all hiring to fill all vacancies,” he said.

In addition to filling vacant teaching positions, Johnson said the shortage of bus drivers is slowly being addressed as well.

“With the ongoing bus driver shortage, the CMCSS Transportation Department is pleased to have around 50 candidates in the driver training program right now, with an additional 24 interested applicants,” Johnson said.

Teachers taking on more class time

The teacher shortage is taking a toll on the teachers who are in the schools, according to Constance Brown, president of the Clarksville-Montgomery County Education Association (CMCEA).

“Working conditions are a big focus this year,” Brown said. “Lack of (substitute teachers) is a big problem. (Teachers) are losing planning periods to go and fill in for class.”

Brown said no teacher would ever leave a class unattended, but skipping the state-mandated allotment of 150 minutes per week for planning is causing burnout.

“We are working with the district to find a solution on how to cover those classes without educators having to give up their 150 minutes of prep time,” Brown said.

Brown said CMEA was a partner in the original pipeline program, ELTR, which was part of a partnership with Austin Peay State University.

“We also started mental health programs. Those teachers have 150 kids a day they are taking care of, then they are going home and trying to take care of their own families,” she said.

Showing appreciation

To welcome the new recruits, Brown said there will be a special event to show appreciation.

“On Sunday, Aug. 7, we will have a new hire event, at Sanctuary on Main, where new hires will get a free mini massage, a free dessert and a free coffee,” she said.

Brown said it will take at least two school calendar year cycles to get caught back up to the way things were pre-COVID.

“I think (CMCSS) is doing an outstanding job,” she said.

The first half-day of school is Monday, Aug. 8.

For information on available jobs and employment with CMCSS, go to the district website hiring page at www.cmcss.net.

Correction: The state-mandated allotment of planning time is 150 hours per week. Also, CMCEA was a partner in the original teacher pipeline program, ELTR. The article has been updated.