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Des Moines offers teachers $50k incentive to stay

Illustration: Shoshana Gordon/Axios Des Moines Public Schools is offering a $50,000 incentive to teachers, nurses and administrators who are nearing retirement to stay with the district through the 2022-2023 school year.At least 58 have taken the offer according to records obtained by Axios. Details: Recipients must be 60 years old by June 30, 2023 and have a minimum of 15 years at DMPS are eligible for the incentive.They can also buy into the district's health insurance plan up to the age of 65. Why it matters: Staffing shortages are being reported in districts across the nation, pushing some schools in other states to , and .District CFO Shashank Aurora says retirement delays will help DMPS avoid taking more drastic measures. Yes, but: With less than a month before classes begin, the district still has more than 50 teacher and at least 100 support staff vacancies.It's possible that activities like , an after school program, may not be offered at some locations due to staffing, Phil Roeder, a district spokesperson, told Axios Friday. State of play: There's an overall labor shortage that's driven partly by . Employers can no longer count on a flood of new workers to fill empty jobs.Yes, but: The threat of school violence, a pandemic and intensifying political interference in lesson plans has exacerbated staffing problems in education,.Nearly 80% of educators said they were dissatisfied, according to conducted in June by the , a union that represents 1.7 million members. By the numbers: There were more than 5,400 Iowa school jobs posted Friday, according to , a service through the Iowa Department of Education.More than 1,600 were for classroom teachers, including more than 100 in the Sioux City and Davenport metro areas. Zoom in: from DSM metro schools in recent months but DMPS has been the hardest hit.West Des Moines, Waukee and Ankeny each had between three and nine active teacher listings as of Friday. What's next: Hiring is ongoing. District officials will have a better idea of what services might get reduced or cut in the next week or so, Roeder said. Get more local stories in your inbox with .Subscribe Support local journalism by becoming a member.

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