Unexpected Staffing Changes? Online Courses Can Help

Liz Katz

In May, One Schoolhouse surveyed Academic Leaders about unexpected staffing changes. 47% of our respondents told us they were dealing with more unexpected staff departures in 2022 than they had in 2021. That’s especially concerning because we asked Academic Leaders about staff departures back in July 2021–80% had teachers announce departures after the end of the 2020-2021 school year, with 24% of our respondents telling us they had lost four or more. And we’re not the only ones talking about this–blogs, education publications, and legacy media are all talking about teacher resignations. 

Back in the spring, we could take a theoretical approach–how might Academic Leaders maximize teacher retention, for example. But by the time we reach mid-July, schools with with open job postings need help problem-solving:  What do you do when you can’t find a teacher?

Starting in July, we begin to get calls from schools who are stuck in a staffing dilemma. With a schedule already in place (or well on the way to being built), simply changing or dropping course offerings is no longer an option. They’re committed to the courses in their catalog. 

In situations like this, schools use One Schoolhouse to ensure they can run the courses their students are counting on. Take, for example, a school that loses their Physics teacher in the summer. Some of those courses–typically the introductory ones–can be distributed to colleagues in the department who are willing to take on a section in addition to their regular load. But when it comes to higher-level courses with single sections (always the hardest to schedule!) that require an additional level of expertise, there are few, if any, options on campus. 

Moving those difficult-to-staff courses online can be an elegant solution. Student schedules gain flexibility, and schools can avoid overburdening their faculty. This can also avoid a budget crunch, because the fees associated with an online course are often lower than the cost of salary and benefits for a full- or part-time employee.

If you find yourself stuck with a staffing challenge, don’t hesitate to pick up the phone and give us a call, or send us an email. We’re happy to talk through the ways we can supplement your on-campus program. And if you need to staff a particular course and don’t see it listed in our catalog, we may still be able to help–with a wide range of trained online teachers, we may be able to add a course to our catalog that meets your needs. ​