PORTSMOUTH, Va. — An elementary school in Portsmouth aims to tackle the ongoing issue of teacher shortages by offering instructional staff $30,000 in stipends over the next three years while designating the school as a Spark School.
Douglass Park Elementary School in Portsmouth is considered a struggling school.
It serves more than 500 students and relies on the highest concentration of contracted teaching staff in the division. In recent years, it has experienced numerous teacher vacancies and declines in student performance, creating the need for more incentives.
"In Portsmouth we like to say we're shining brighter together, and sometimes some of us just need a little spark to get us moving and going and growing in the right direction," said Nicole DeVries, Ph.D., Portsmouth Public Schools Chief Academic Officer.
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DeVries explained that the incentive is intended to attract and retain highly qualified, licensed staff to the school — something that's been a challenge since before the pandemic and has gotten worse.
"How is this different from just hiring more teachers?" asked News 3 reporter Erika Craven.
"Because there is a focus on certain aspects that we know need to happen that typically have not been happening at this school," DeVries responded.
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According to the district, the incentive and Spark School designation will come with infrastructure improvements, professional development, and targeted family engagement programming at the school.
"The thought about Spark Schools is that it's kind of a wrap around program, so we aren't just focusing on academics," said DeVries. "Hopefully, the parents and students will be really excited about this and they'll see a really positive impact right from the beginning."
She hopes that the initiative will lead to increases in teacher retention, student attendance, parent engagement, and academic achievement.
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"I think this is a really exciting opportunity to create a whole new culture from the ground up," said DeVries.
The incentive is available for teachers and instructional staff who apply for the roles, meaning that some existing staff, unless they apply, may wind up transferring to other schools in the district.
So far, a spokesperson for the district reports they have received 21 administrative applications (principal and assistant principal positions) and 75 applications for instructional positions.
At the end of the three years, the district will evaluate the initiative's effectiveness at Douglass Park Elementary and may consider expanding it to other schools.
To learn more about the Spark School initiative and find application information, click here.
