More than 150 jobs still open in N.J. school district struggling to find teachers

The public school district in New Jersey’s third-largest city still has 152 teaching vacancies as classes are set to resume next week.

Paterson Public Schools is taking several steps to cover for the vacancies when students return on Thursday, Superintendent Laurie W. Newell said.

“In order to minimize any disruption to student learning, we have an efficient plan in place. This includes the use of per diem substitutes, combining classes when appropriate, compensating teachers to cover additional classes during their open periods, and utilizing Proximity, a virtual teaching platform,” Newell told NJ Advance Media.

The 152 vacancies were as of Thursday, Newell said. They represent 7.3% of the teaching positions in the grades K-12 school district.

Paterson is among the many school districts, in New Jersey and elsewhere, that have grappled with teaching vacancies in recent years. It is in a better position than about a year ago, when there were 166 teaching vacancies on Aug. 29, Newell said.

“To address these vacancies, the district is taking steps to attract qualified candidates,” Newell said.

“We are advertising through multiple platforms and have held, and will continue to hold, numerous in-district and virtual job fairs throughout the school year. These efforts are ongoing, and we remain committed to filling these vacancies,” Newell said.

The president of the Paterson Education Association, the local teachers’ union, did not immediately respond to a request to comment.

Paterson approved $7,500 bonuses to 181 teachers hired between September 2022 and June 2023 under an incentive program that has been discontinued. Officials have not announced any plan to resume the bonus program, which a district spokesperson said last year had proven too expensive and less effective than anticipated.

Teachers in Paterson receive starting salaries ranging from $61,420 and $63,220, according to the district.

The Paterson school board and teachers’ union reached an agreement on a five-year contract in January 2023 after protracted disagreements over vacancies, salaries and working conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic.