Methuen faces special‑education and psychology staffing shortages; administration working with universities and contractors
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Summary
Committee heard that certified special‑education and school psychologist candidates are scarce; administration is reposting positions, working with contracted agencies, and partnering with local colleges but said supply constraints limit hires.
Committee members raised concerns about vacancies in special education and school psychology. Acting Superintendent and HR staff described a multi‑pronged approach: targeted family messaging, reposting openings to refresh job boards, working with contracted service agencies, and continuing university partnerships with Marymount and UMass Lowell (and historical ties to Tufts).
Administration said some classrooms are covered by models where a single special‑education teacher oversees two classrooms supported by program assistants while positions remain open and actively recruited. They reported several recent interviews for special‑education candidates and at least one candidate in process for the pathways program at Marsh.
On school psychologists, administrators said hiring is difficult because many openings are testing‑only roles or combine testing and direct service components that differ from the district’s current needs. Committee members suggested increased partnerships, student‑teacher supervision models and university pipelines, but administrators warned supply constraints and paperwork burdens for supervising staff.
Next steps: administration will continue reposting and recruiting, share interview outcomes when appropriate, and keep the committee updated on hires and contract‑to‑employee transitions.
