During Monday’s meeting, the Katy ISD School Board designated “acute teacher shortage areas” in the district, allowing previously-retired educators to return to the classroom without the loss of retirement benefits.
Acute teacher shortages were approved in eight areas within the district. Those areas included:
- Mathematics (secondary)
- Science (secondary)
- Special Education (all levels)
- Languages Other than English (secondary)
- Bilingual (elementary)
- English as a Second Language (all levels)
- Technology Education (secondary)
- Computer Science
In recommending trustees take the action, Superintendent Alton Frailey pointed out that the 77th Texas Legislature passed a measure allowing retired teachers to be re-employed provided a district’s school board declares an acute shortage.
“These laws allow retired educators to return to full employment with (Teachers Retirement System) employers without loss or restriction to benefits, if certain conditions are met,” Frailey noted.
For teachers who retired after Jan. 1, 2001, those conditions include having had a break in service of at least 12 months and being hired for a position for which an acute shortage has been declared.
“The legislature designated to the board of trustees of each school district the determination of the areas of acute teacher shortage for their district. The determination must be based on the guidelines of the Commissioner of Education and must take into consideration the list of areas of acute teacher shortage as identified by the Texas Education Agency,” Frailey told the board. “Board policy specifies that guidelines must be in place in order to active this provision. Those guidelines must include a requirement that a certified applicant for a position as a classroom teacher who is not a retiree be given preference in hiring.”
The measure was approved by a unanimous vote of trustees as a part of their consent agenda. Trustee Tom Law was absent from the meeting.
I believe the board took a responsible action by doing this but it underscores the shortage of qualified persons available to teach in our classrooms. The situation will only get worse. I am running for a seat on the KISD school board and made references to the tight labor market on my web site: http://www.katyvote.com, before the board took this action. There is additional information about the teacher situation posted there.
Ross