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HR reports vacancies down but special‑education and paraprofessional shortages persist; substitute pool grows
Summary
Human resources told the Plymouth‑Canton board that vacancies have fallen but the district still faces concentrated hiring pressure in special education and paraprofessional roles, even as substitute capacity has grown.
District human resources leaders presented an annual staffing update showing a highly experienced teacher workforce while also flagging persistent hiring challenges in special education and paraprofessional roles.
HR staff reported the district’s approved staffing for 2024‑25 includes about 1,122 teachers and professional staff. The department said 81% of classroom teachers hold a master’s degree or higher and that roughly 50% of teachers have served the district 10 years or more. The HR presentation also noted strong substitute coverage: 858 active EduStaff substitutes and a 96% fill rate reported for the current year.
Vacancies were reported at 17 total positions on the day of the meeting: 11 special‑education openings and 6 general‑education openings. HR said the oldest open position dated to the start of the school year, and staff described national and state shortages for special‑education teachers and related specialists (speech‑language pathologists, occupational therapists) as the principal driver. HR said districts statewide are competing for a shrinking pool of qualified candidates.
Human resources chief Abdul Madgeone outlined active recruitment steps: national job postings, relationships with regional universities (EMU, MSU, U‑M, Wayne State), participation in upcoming job fairs, targeted outreach to student teachers and substitutes, and use of alternative certification and ‘‘grow‑your‑own’’ pathways. Retention work included an HR roadshow to meet staff in buildings, stay interviews to gather on‑the‑job feedback, employee‑assistance and financial counseling resources, and benefit plan adjustments that added new HSA options.
Madgeone said the district is analyzing pay scales and benefits against peer districts and that HR and finance will pursue systems and process efficiencies (e.g., electronic timekeeping and vendor review of HR databases) to reduce duplication of administrative work.
Board discussion focused on special‑education turnover, paraprofessional pay and recruitment, the timing of bargaining and planned town‑hall listening sessions with hourly staff. HR committed to provide a side‑by‑side pay comparison with peer districts and to return with more detailed vacancy breakdowns by role.
— This article reports staffing figures and HR actions as presented to the board; vacancies and program details reflect the numbers given at the meeting.
