LAS CRUCES - Chief human resources officer Miguel Serrano updated the school board on vacancies in the school district during an Oct. 2 work session, and detailed efforts by the Las Cruces Public Schools to staff classrooms with certified teachers.

"I'll tell you how many vacancies we have, but help me fill those vacancies," Serrano said, telling board members that recruiting potential candidates and referring them to his department was an initiative open to all.

"It does take a village to educate a child, so it takes a village to hire the educators that educate the child," he said.

Serving 25,000 students, Serrano said the district currently had 28 vacancies, with certified special education personnel the highest area of need. A chart he presented to the board listed 21 elementary vacancies, six middle school vacancies, and two high school vacancies (totaling 29), but he said a new hire was not reflected in the data.

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The district is also looking for secretaries, custodians and food service workers.

In comparison to last year, Serrano said his department had begun the staffing process earlier and committed to generating offer letters the same day recommendations from departments and schools were received. He also pointed to improved attendance at job fairs and increased contacts with prospective teachers outside the district via social media.

He credited a "solid partnership" between the district and New Mexico State University's college of education for recent hires of three student teachers, beginning their careers in local classrooms while benefiting from educator mentors.

In response to a question from board member Maria Flores about teacher attrition, Serrano said the majority of departures were resignations rather than retirement. When Flores asked why this was, Serrano conceded that routine exit interviews, where that information could be obtained, were not a district practice. He indicated he would not object to instituting them on request.

Teacher shortages in New Mexico

The most recent New Mexico Educator Vacancy Report, prepared by NMSU in 2017, counted 673 openings statewide "for certified teachers, counselors, administrators, and ancillary service providers such as speech pathologists, social workers, and other therapists."

It estimated that 23,050 middle or high school students and 4,910 elementary student, approximately 8 percent overall, were being taught by long-term substitute teachers rather than certified teachers.

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Openings for special education teachers accounted for 46 percent of teacher vacancies, up from 35 percent in 2016 reporting.

The report surveyed 1,900 educators, half of whom answered “no” when asked if they would encourage a career in education. Only 19 percent answered “yes.”

Algernon D'Ammassa can be reached at 575-541-5451, adammassa@lcsun-news.com or @AlgernonActor on Twitter.

Read the 2017 New Mexico Educator Vacation Report: