Miami-Dade welcomes 300 new teachers, including career-switchers amid shortage

By Ari Odzer 

More than 300 new teachers are preparing for their first day on the job with Miami-Dade County Public Schools, and they got a pep talk Monday from the superintendent.

“You can build a career with us, so congratulations for joining us,” said Dr. Jose Dotres to applause from the rookie teachers at what the district calls the new teacher induction event, being held all week at Miami Springs Senior High School.

The superintendent was like a general welcoming new recruits to his army. Dotres was once in their shoes. 

“When I began as a teacher, we did not have these teacher induction programs, now we do, because we know that it’s very important because we know that before teachers begin their classes and open a new school year, we should be able to help them, orient them, and get them started,” Dotres said. 

Before they become established teachers, new recruits learn the ropes by shadowing veterans through the training program and by going through an apprenticeship. 

“I was in accounting, actually, accounts receivable, completely different world, all about numbers, corporate America, and I’m now trying to follow my passion,” said Vanessa Dager at the induction event. “And I’m gonna be working with exceptional students, which is special education, so even more meaningful.”

Most of the new teachers are career switchers; they’re leaving one field to step into the classroom. They’re doing it for a total starting salary of between $50,000 and $60,000. 

“I like nursing, but I love teaching,” said Kayla Wilcott, who is leaving her full-time job at the hospital for a high school classroom, and taking a major pay cut in the process. 

“Yes, huge pay cut, I want to say it’s like $20-thousand a year pay cut, yeah, to me it is worth it.”

There is a teacher shortage nationwide, and it’s being felt in South Florida as well. 

“It is a challenge to sometimes locate and recruit teachers,” Dotres said. “And they don’t always have to come from the education field, we want scientists, we want mathematicians, we want folks with technology backgrounds, so we are recruiting from many different pathways, right?”

The school district is celebrating the fact that so many college grads are changing careers to become teachers, but that also illustrates a problem happening at universities across the country: fewer college students are majoring in education. The only way to reverse that trend is to make teaching a more lucrative profession.

https://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/miami-dade-welcomes-300-new-teachers/3672819/