MSCS reports 169 teacher vacancies; administration outlines mentoring, testing supports and virtual options

Human Resources reported to the board that Memphis‑Shelby County Schools currently has 169 teacher vacancies districtwide: 96 at elementary levels, 26 at middle schools and 47 at high school/CCTE levels.

"Currently, we have 169 teacher vacancies," Crystal Oliver said, and provided certified vs. non‑certified headcounts by level. Oliver said she would provide school‑level lists and additional breakdowns on request.

Interim Superintendent Roderick Richmond and Rachel Addison, who outlined supports for permit teachers, said the district has roughly 1,200 teachers on permits across three cohort years and is offering targeted support to help them gain full certification. Addison described the district’s approaches: one‑to‑one mentoring for first‑year teachers and smaller ratios for years two and three; content‑specific professional learning; practice tutors who work directly with permit teachers; access to study.com for Praxis practice tests; and monthly milestone checks to track progress toward licensure. "The teachers who are engaged in study.com regularly, they are actually passing the test," she said.

Board members pressed administrators about using virtual/proximity teachers and certificated substitutes to fill gaps in core subjects, especially at the high‑school level. Richmond said the district already uses virtual 'proximity' sections and estimated several hundred such sections are active. "We're currently using, I want to say, approximately 373 of proximity... I think we have 26 remaining sections where schools are using proximity and they're using the virtual format," Richmond said, and urged principals to notify regional superintendents when specific classes need a certified teacher.

Administrators agreed to provide additional data requested by board members: school‑level vacancy lists, the count of certificated substitutes assigned to core subjects, and the list of schools currently operating virtual classes. They also said they would follow up with a recommendation on exhausting available options (virtual, in‑person, substitute pools) and on communications to permit teachers about licensure pathways.

Next steps: The administration will send the requested vacancy breakdowns, clarify which schools are using virtual learning, and return recommendations for board review.