Jan. 7, 2022
Dear JHS Families,
We write hoping that your family enjoyed a safe and joy-filled holiday. It has been a challenging school year, and we know the value of resting and recharging. This week we returned to many, if not more, of the same difficult circumstances that have recently plagued school systems around the country.
We continue to face a significant staff shortage exacerbated by a lack of substitutes and higher quarantine rates after the holidays. This week the average “unfilled” teaching jobs rate at Jefferson High School has been 14% or higher. Unfortunately, this results in adult supervision that is stretched so thin that it is affecting quality of instruction. To be clear, the staff at Jefferson High School have been phenomenal. They did not create this situation and have gone above and beyond to make things work for kids. We have been recruiting and hiring qualified applicants as quickly as possible. The staff from the central office staff are in schools subbing every day. Principals are working with cooks by washing dishes in the kitchen. Bus drivers are making double runs every single day. The entire school system is pulling out all the stops to support each other and keep students in school where we all know they learn best.
We are committed to giving our students everything we can to get them educated and prepare them for life after school, but we have to face some serious decisions in the coming days/weeks. We cannot continue to stretch our staff thinner and thinner as they work 10 to 12-hour days to cover for other jobs while still trying to get their own done. We have to ensure student and staff safety and continue to deliver instruction. The current conditions have compromised our ability to do that. The purpose of this letter is not to inform you of a virtual shift today, but out of fairness to students and staff, we need to make sure everyone is prepared for that very real possibility if we cannot reduce the unfilled rate.
Again, you have our deepest apologies for the loss facing your children. It is not fair, but please know we will ensure that students have the resources they need to succeed in that virtual environment, from laptops to wi-fi hotspots. Any shift to virtual instruction will last for a minimum of ten days. We will provide you with as much notice as possible through our regular communication channels if the shift to virtual becomes necessary. Until then, we will continue doing everything within our power to address the situation.
There are many ways to help during this challenging time. Consider volunteering to spend time in school. There are many tasks that can be completed by non-teachers that free up time for our licensed teachers to focus on instruction. Become a PASS Partner. Our students are experiencing higher rates of mental illness, stress, and fatigue than ever before. Having a consistent, caring adult in their life contributes to better outcomes.
