Band, Special Ed Teaching Positions Tough To Fill

SEBRING - Almost every year, at least one of the district's three high schools loses a band director, initiating a sometimes difficult search for a replacement.

This year is no different with both Avon Park and Lake Placid high schools looking for a new head for their music departments. Hill-Gustat Middle School just filled its opening.

After his first year as a teacher, Lake Placid High Band Director Larry Glenzer decided to find a job closer to home in Wisconsin, School Board of Highlands County Teacher Recruiter Sean Rego said Monday.

Of the four applicants, three are qualified for the Lake Placid opening, Rego said. Interviews are being held.

Moving out of state for a new career opportunity, Robert Brewer resigned after serving five years as the Avon Park High Band director. His vacancy is still open.

So now, the dean of high school band directors in the county is Sebring High's Colorado Paniaqua, who has been at the school for only two years and is the longest-serving band director.

A band director's position is unique. It requires knowledge of all the marching instruments and the ability to teach students on all of them.

In some instances over the years, new directors were hired right out of college, and after gaining one or two years of experience they moved on to a larger district or a school closer to their hometown.
There have been a few times when the school district hired a band director only a few days before the start of the school year.

Other Perennial Vacancies
The district also has a number of exceptional student education teaching positions unfilled.
Fred Wild Elementary Principal Laura Waldon said the common need over the years is finding good, solid exceptional student education (ESE) teachers, and her school currently has a few openings.

Rego said the primary reason for the shortage is that not enough educators are willing to teach students with disabilities. It's a shortage across the country, even in the Midwest, where they are closing schools, he added. Being an ESE teacher requires the traditional four years of college and there are no additional requirements, Rego said.

There is also a shortage for speech/language pathologists and occupational therapists, he said. Those positions require a master's degree.

The district's current online listing of teacher openings includes six ESE openings, among the 17 positions.