A teacher shortage has long plagued the Guam Department of Education — and less than a week into the new school year, education officials are sharing how it’s affecting classrooms and what’s being done to close the gap. It’s only Day 5 of the new school year, and while students are back in class on schedule, GDOE is still short 54 teachers—18 at the elementary level, 32 in secondary, and 4 in special education.

Dr. Barbara Adamos, acting deputy superintendent of educational support and community learning, says it’s all hands on deck to ensure instruction continues. She told KUAM News, “The problem it poses is—the school principals are working on using their school aides and other staff to cover the classes—and the principals are in charge of ensuring that there are lesson plans provided so that every day is an instructional day and not just a time in the cafeteria sitting and waiting.”

 “Not only are principals covering down, but principals are being told to maximize their class loads. So, if they have three 8th-grade language arts teachers, and the enrollment is low, we need to start shifting students around to ensure that students do have teachers and that we are maximizing the enrollment that’s allowed per period per teacher.”

Adamos adding they’re actively recruiting, but challenges persist—including at least 12 teachers expected to retire by the end of August.

Tom Babauta, assistant superintendent of special education, says the shortage is part of a larger national trend, noting, “So, teachers are leaving the profession faster than we can recruit and train them, and we have a nationwide shortage of gen-ed teachers, but specifically, special ed teachers. So, it’s really difficult.”

But not insurmountable—Babauta working with the University of Guam  to certify 9 new special ed teachers by year’s end, with another cohort in the works.

Dr. Adamos says a grant-funded program is also helping to support teachers, adding, “With one of our consolidated grants, we help applicants who have a bachelor's degree in a content area but lack the education certification, so they fall under the Master of Arts Teaching program. So they take classes at the UOG while they are employed at DOE, and upon completion, not only do they have a master's degree, but they’re getting full pay.”

For now, both agree—it’s a district-wide effort to get teachers in the classroom.