OCPS needs to fill 270 teaching positions for 2016-17 school year

Elementary, reading, math and science teachers are among the positions most needed.

By Jennifer Nesslar
| 4:30 p.m. July 21, 2016

Southwest Orange
Neighborhood

Orange County Public Schools has 270 teaching positions to fill by the Aug. 15, the district’s first day of school.

At the beginning of the summer, the district had 1,000 open positions to fill. It hopes that all the positions can be filled when the school year begins.

“Our district is so large, so there is quite a bit of mobility,” Shari Bobinski, senior manager of media relations at OCPS, said. “Teachers retire, they leave for other jobs. Every year we have new schools opening.”

Three new schools open this year, including Horizon West’s Bay Lake Elementary School. When a new school opens, it adds an additional number of positions to be filled.

The growth of Orange County, specifically West Orange County and Horizon West add to the need. OCPS is projecting 5,000 more students than last year, and the district will likely have 200,000 students between August and October. The shortened length of the summer also creates a hiring challenge for the district.

The areas of biggest need for teachers are elementary schools, as well as the core subjects — reading, math and science teachers.

Because there are a larger number of elementary schools than other schools, there is a greater need for teachers in those subject areas.

In Orange County, teacher salaries start at $39,500, and those with advanced degrees can earn up to $5,000 to $7,000 on top of that.

In order to find teachers, OCPS recruiters visit colleges across Florida, hold local job fairs and even hold job fairs in other states that have a surplus of teachers.