JACKSONVILLE, Fla — Schools are facing so many hurdles this year, the teacher shortage is just one of them.
Florida Education Association says there are about 10,000 vacancies at the start of the school year. Instead of crowding classrooms, two Duval County private schools are using a virtual business to livestream teachers into the classroom.
Proximity Learning currently provides 10 teachers to America’s Little Leaders Junior Academy.
”The pandemic has just adjusted the way we have to teach," Principal Abbie Sanks said. "It kind of brought out new ways that we can do that and to reach so many different children.”
America’s Little Leaders Academy is a small private school on the Northside of Jacksonville. Like the rest of the state, the school is faced with a teacher shortage.
“Just in Florida along last year there were 5,000 positions along left vacant for the entire year," Matt Laird said. "This year there is over double that.”
Matt Laird is Partnership Director for Proximity Learning, a company that provides certified teachers to schools across the country. It’s their first school year in Florida and in Duval County.
The ironic part is proximity to Jacksonville isn’t an issue. Their teachers teach over live stream.
They are teaching core classes at the academy this year as well as a Spanish course.
“I would have never thought this in my 20 years of experience that we would be online," Sanks said. "We could offer so many options and reach so many children."
Sanks said she was able to expand her school to 8th grade this year because of the Proximity Learning teachers.
If students get sick and have to quarantine, they can still join class live.
"There are so many good programs that are out there," Laird said. "But without the live portion of having one of our teachers come in, we are really letting our students get out there and teach themselves. That is harder especially for the grades.”
Proximity Learning teachers are Florida certified and have gone through national virtual teacher association training.
The kids aren’t left alone with a virtual teacher. There is a facilitator in the classroom while the teacher is virtual.