National Teacher Shortage Affecting MASD

Board President: ‘It’s not just McKeesport school district. It’s every school district’

By Adam Reinherz
The Tube City Almanac
December 10, 2024
Posted in: McKeesport and Region News

A national shortage of teachers for kindergarten through 12th grade is impacting McKeesport Area School District as well, officials said.

At Thursday’s meeting, school directors and district officials addressed concerns about the resignation of Angela Cale, MASD’s coordinator of special education and alternative services.

Cale is a McKeesport Area High School graduate and former dean of students and principal of East End Academy. She had served as special ed coordinator since 2013, according to the district. Her resignation was effective Dec. 10.

McKeesport resident Carolyn Cash asked the board how Cale’s resignation would affect student education. Residents have previously voiced concerns about vacancies in special education and other departments.

Matthew Mols, assistant to the superintendent, told Cash he would contact her the following day to address specifics.

Both the exchange and underlying educational issue were concerning, Pastor Earlene Coleman told school directors.

“We need to know more about what is going on within our buildings, and with our teachers, because there's a lot of resignations and a lot of shifting going on,” she said.

“Unfortunately, when it comes to personnel issues, we cannot discuss that,” School Board President Mark Holtzman Sr. said. As for the dearth of educators, “It’s not just McKeesport school district. It’s every school district,” he continued. “They’re having the same issue with getting teachers, and that’s just the way it is today.”

A report in July from Penn State’s Center for Evaluation and Education Policy Analysis reported that the attrition rate among teachers in Pennsylvania was 6.7 percent last year — among the highest on record.

The report concluded that fewer people are being certified as teaches in Pennsylvania, and many are leaving the field.

Although last year’s rate fell from a previous high of 7.7 percent, the 2023-24 figure was still greater than those recorded in six of the 10 years since 2014-15. Commonly cited complaints by teachers who are leaving the profession include low compensation, unrealistic expectations, work-life balance, leadership and workplace flexibility.

According to Holtzman, who was reelected as board president on Dec. 5, educators are leaving McKeesport, or the profession entirely, to pursue better career opportunities.

According to govsalaries.com, a database of more than 50 million salary records, the average salary among MASD educators was $68,304 in 2023.

Both Holtzman and Mols told this reporter that the district is seeking to increase hires.

Information regarding several open positions, including pro-rated salary information, was distributed at the Dec. 5 meeting. One special education teacher position offered a starting salary of $43,278 plus a $5,000 sign-on bonus. Another special education teacher position boasted a $96,033 salary.

A high school science teacher position offered $58,911 and a $5,000 sign-on bonus.

MASD is offering sign-on bonuses to recruit special education, science and math teachers, Holtzman said.

Two resignations were announced, but the good news is “we have more hires than that,” Mols said. “We're moving in the right direction to fill the vacancies that we've had.”

The names of resigning staff and those to be hired were included on “the green sheets” distributed during Thursday’s meeting.

School directors will vote to hire several of the individuals named during this week’s meeting.

Adam Reinherz is a Pittsburgh-based journalist. He can be reached at adam.reinherz@gmail.com.

Originally published December 10, 2024.

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