‘Crisis’ teacher shortage in West Virginia

To flip an oft-used phrase, you don’t get what you don’t pay for.

That’s why West Virginia’s teacher shortage has reached a “crisis stage,” according to West Virginia State School Superintendent Dr. Michael Martirano.

Because teacher pay in West Virginia ranks 46^th among all states with a $33,685 annual median, there are 740 teaching vacancies.

That has nearly doubled in two years.

Hardest hit is special education (238 vacancies). Next is math (92), elementary and early education (79), science (43), English (41), administration (36), career and technical education and reading (both 32), foreign languages (31), the arts (20) with 96 in the other disciplines. 

The greatest teachers I had in Monongah were the late Mary Turkovich, who would NOT let you not learn math, algebra and geometry at Monongah High, and Sister Agnes, a whiz at grammar and spelling instructions (with the help of her 1-hole and 2-hole paddles).

Those two are most responsible for my 43-year newspaper career and financial fortunes. I owe both a major debt.