As the school year is almost halfway through, the high school is still vigorously looking for qualified teachers to fill the spots. Long term substitutes are those who temporarily teach a class while the school looks for a teacher to hire.

“We are working diligently to fill those…We just have a shortage of teachers,” Principal Mike Nelson said. Qualified teachers are valuable to any school system, but the demand is higher than the supply.

Qualified teachers have a current Virginia teaching license along with many other qualities and characteristics including a clean background. Long term substitutes and regular substitutes have the qualifications of two years of college along with other things such as a clean background check.

Tri-city school districts are all competing for teachers that are up to standard and will be the best for their school system.

“I think that as our school system improves, we will attract more teachers,” Nelson said.

Improvement is the ultimate goal to have better teachers that will provide a better education to the students. 

As the pay of teachers rarely increases, teachers have to have their heart into teaching. Teachers are the force behind every generation in schools, and education is the bases for the majority of children in the United States.

With the shortage in qualified teachers, the high school has issued long term substitute positions to try to provide certain classes.

The high school currently only has two long term substitutes, an English 10 teacher and a Special Education teacher. One, being David Moody, who currently teaching five English 10 classes and coaches junior varsity volleyball and soccer. 

Moody works hard with other teachers and the administration to be prepared and teach his students well.

“I had to complete what every other teacher is required to do, which were a few work days with a guest speaker…,” Moody said.

Long term substitutes can affect the level of teaching but “… Fortunately our long term substitutes are great. They are well regarded by the staff,” Nelson said. 

The first year of teaching is rumored to be the hardest, but Moody has already made an impact on his students.

“He is a honest and helpful person. You can tell he loves his students through his teaching,” sophomore Jordan Whitehead said.

As of 2011, the Virginia Board of Education’s guidelines to implement the Provisions of Section 22.1-302(A) of the Code Of Virginia pertaining to the employment of substitute teachers states, “that substitutes cannot fill a teacher vacancy for period of time, but for no longer than 90 teaching days, unless otherwise approved by the superintendent of the Public Instruction on a case-by-case basis, during one school year.”

The second semester is rapidly approaching and the school is still searching to fill those two spots. Moody hopes to extend his period of teaching – the school board has yet to vote on the situation but will do so soon.

Moody’s goal for the future is to return to school to become a qualified teacher.

“My plan is to get my Virginia teaching license… I graduated from JMU [James Madison University], but am looking more local for my teaching classes.”