The lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer don’t mean a break for administrative employees in school districts

Despite it being summer time, work is still happening in the Monroe County School District.

Theresa Axford, Superintendent of Schools for Monroe County, joined Good Morning Keys on KeysTalk 96.9/102.5 FM this morning to talk about issues facing the district.

Monroe County schools are still looking for 36 teachers and 29 para-professionals.

Axford said, “We’re doing a lot to engage with the community on this.”

The Monroe County School District starting teacher salary is $51,800.

Axford said, “We have competitive pay and really good benefits and health insurance. So we’ve been doing job fairs throughout the Keys. So it’s amazing when you do engage with the community, things start to happen. However it’s still not enough for us, but you can see that we are leaving no stone unturned.”

The job fairs are bringing candidates, but they aren’t hires just yet.

Axford said, “Anyone who is out there listening who has a degree or doesn’t, because we need para-professionals and we need bus drivers. We’re doing quite a bit for bus drivers. I think everybody in the country is in the same boat with this particular group. This is a shortage not just in Monroe County, but nation-wide.”

The compensation package for school bus drivers in Monroe County includes a $2,000 signing bonus. Potential bus drivers will also get trained at no cost.

Axford said, “We don’t want to start school without these essential personnel. You can imagine what it’s like not to have a teacher in a classroom or having to wait long periods of time to catch the bus.”

Bus drivers are considered full-time employees.

Axford has also created a Career Academy, which will allow qualifying teachers to add between $5,000 and $7,500 to their salary for outstanding work.

She said, “We really want teachers to mentor new teachers and mentor teachers who are struggling and need some assistance. It’s an extremely rewarding profession. Just working with the students, it’s life-changing. There’s those ah-ha moments every day in classrooms where students are just ignited by the learning and that’s what makes education such a wonderful career. Bus drivers, too, and cafeteria workers. Being with the students is just very satisfying.”

Mike Stapleford of KeysTalk 96.9/102.5FM said, “They do have the ability to make a difference in the life of a young adult and a child as well. That certainly must be very gratifying.”

The state requires certification to be a teacher, but Monroe County can take someone who recently graduated and help them through the steps to become certified through the state.

Axford said, “And we also can support them in all the things that you need to know, all the techniques and strategies that you need to know to present information effectively. There’s more to being a teacher, obviously, than just having the certification. Teachers have to know their material and they have to be able to present it in a way that students can learn it. All of those challenges can be met with assistance and we’re there to help people.”

On August 23, voters will be going to the polls and voting on a referendum for the milage in Monroe County School District.

Axford explained, “The state is very prescriptive on how we have to spend our money, however we can go to the voters and ask them for assistance. So this moves money from our capital fund into our operations and it’s something that the voters have done for a number of years now. It’s revenue neutral, but it allows us to add $15 million to our operational budget and of course that supports teacher’s salaries. I know some people are skeptical about it, but we’ve got everything is on our website, all our information, but it’s just asking them if we can move money from one fund to another.”

It is grouped together with milage to support school safety that pays for school resource officers. There are school resource officers in every school in the Keys. In the larger schools there are two.

Axford said, “I can’t tell you how wonderful that partnership is with the Sheriff’s Office and the Key West PD. Those resource officers are just so incredibly valuable to the schools. Not only for safety, but because of their great relationships with students and the excellent role-modeling that they do with the students. It’s really remarkable to see. We want the students to understand how much the police officer does in terms of safety. Not only for the school, but for the whole community. So that referendum, both of them, it’s a no-brainer, I think for our public. The schools in Monroe County are supported by the residents unbelievably. They just really, really support us because we’ve got excellent schools. We’re an A-rated school district.”

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