IDAHO, USA — From an early age, Leah Jones knew exactly what she wanted to do.
“My mother was a teacher, and so I was like, ‘I want to do this,'” Jones said. “The rewarding part is the kids, and watching them grow and learn.”
For the past 9 years, Jones has taught elementary school. She currently works in Twin Falls. She loves her job; however, time taught Jones the job doesn’t always love her back.
“I actually thought about leaving at the end of last year, because it's hard. It's a hard job,” Jones said.
Specifically, this job is hard on Jones from a financial standpoint. Every year, she is tasked with buying supplies not provided by the school or district. These can be basic items such as markers, or staplers, according to Jones. They can also be large and expensive items, including tables and chairs.
“My first year in [Twin Falls], I spent more than $4,000 of my own money. I’ve gotten better, but I still spend about $2,000, if not more, every year,” Jones said.
Jones saves all her receipts in order to receive $250 back on her taxes. This is a common occurrence with teachers all across the state, according to Jones. She blames it on the state.
“Anything would help, but [we need] funding, funding is huge,” Jones said. “The schools aren't getting enough money from the districts. The districts aren't getting enough money from the legislators.”
Idaho ranks dead last in the country for per student funding, according to an annual report from the National Education Association. The Gem State spends $8,662 dollar on each student annually. Oregon, for example, spends $15,200 per student, they rank 21st in country.
“I talked to a friend who moved to Oregon and she made a list of the things she needed for her classroom - like markers and extra scissors. I think she said about 500-800 dollars worth of stuff,” Jones said. “Everything she needed for her new classroom, and [the school district] bought it all for her.”
Add in staffing shortages and more responsibilities outside of the classroom, Jones is pushed to her limit.
“We're doing recess, we're doing lunch duty, we're meeting the kids at the bus,” Jones said. “I clocked it one month, and I worked 100 hours of free overtime.”
The teacher shortage has left those still in the profession picking up the slack and filling the holes. This is a problem across the state.
“I’m seeing it in my school. I’m seeing it in my district. It's bad. it's really bad,” Jones said.
Moving north to the Treasure Valley, the Vallivue School District (VSD) has 20 support positions open, according to VSD spokesperson Joey Palmer. These positions assist teachers. They are crucial roles to maintain student-to-staff ratios, and to provide select students with the extra attention needed to be successful, according to Palmer.
“You name it, we most likely have a position open for it,” Palmer said. “Teaching in general is a heavy lift just to get kids to read and do math or what not. It's an even heavier lift when there's more students and not enough classified support staff on your side to help you.”
The Boise School District (BSD) agrees. BSD has four open certified teaching positions, which is relatively low compared to recent years according to BSD Public Affairs Administrator Dan Hollar. However, there is a high priority to fill supportive roles. These positions are for support in the classroom and around the rest of the school.
“We have some openings there,” Hollar said. “You can make a positive difference in our students and we certainly welcome those who would like to apply.”
The Nampa School District (NSD) finds themselves in a deeper hole. NSD has 19 open teaching positions throughout the district, according to NSD spokesperson Kathleen Tuck. NSD also has 17 supportive roles vacant; the district has offered 6 applicants to fill some of those roles and is waiting to hear back.
If these positions are left unfilled, this could lead to larger classroom sizes. However, even with a concerted effort to fill these roles, VSD is learning it’s not easy to attract top talent.
“There are a lot of businesses we are competing with that are giving great pay. We've even increased our pay this year and so have a lot of other school districts in the area,” Palmer said.
The responsibility to fill the gaps often falls back on teachers, according to Jones.
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