ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, August 28, 1996 TAG: 9608280049
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER STAFF WRITER
The beginning of the school year will mean lots of introductions during faculty meetings at Cave Spring High in Roanoke County.
Teacher retirements, transfers and child-rearing responsibilities have caused a big turnover among the school's teachers.
Principal Martha Cobble said Tuesday that it was the biggest staff turnover in years, but it's something that could happen at many schools in coming years as more teachers retire.
Cave Spring has lost four teachers in the science department alone since last year: Three retired, and another decided to take time off to care for a young child.
A business teacher and an assistant principal have also retired, Cobble said. Several teachers also transferred: Some moved to junior high schools and others came to the high school, she said.
Some transfers were triggered by the desire to have the high school's athletic coaches on the teaching staff, Cobble said. In the past, some of the school's coaches have done their teaching at other schools.
Overall, Cave Spring has about 15 new full-time teachers and another half-dozen new part-time teachers that it shares with other schools. It also has several other new staff members and assistant principals.
The new teachers include those with experience and those who are just beginning their careers.
"Many of the teachers we have were hired in the late '60s and '70s. They've been around 25 to 30 years, and many will be retiring in the next few years," she said.
It's part of a nationwide trend that educators predict will accelerate during the next few years.
Berkley Lucas, director of instructional personnel for county schools, agreed there's likely to be an increase in the number of teacher retirements.
More than 50 percent of the county's teachers are at the top of the salary scale - meaning they have 20 or more years of experience, Lucas said.
Roanoke, too, has many teachers nearing retirement, and that will mean new faces in city classrooms, said Faye Pleasants, executive for human resources.
"We're a more mature staff, and we've been having a larger number of retirements in recent years," she said.
Roanoke hired 127 new teachers, guidance counselors and librarians this year, she said, in addition to six administrators and 14 other support staff members. The replacement teachers include some with experience and others who have just graduated from college.
Pleasants said retirements caused many of the vacancies. But 15 new teachers were hired because of the move to smaller class size in kindergarten through grade three at five elementary schools in the city's poorest neighborhoods: Fallon Park, Forest Park, Hurt Park, Lincoln Terrace and Roanoke Academy for Mathematics and Science.
"The number of new teachers and administrators is up a little larger this year. It usually ranges from 75 up to close to 150," Pleasants said.
Roanoke has nearly 1,100 teachers and support staff members.
Pleasants said nearly 80 of the city's new teachers will be working in elementary schools, with the rest in middle and high schools.
Roanoke County hired 57 new full-time and six part-time teachers this year. Almost all of the new teachers filled vacancies in middle and high schools.
"This was unusual, because it's usually about half-and-half between elementary and secondary schools," Lucas said. But there were more retirements this year by middle and high school teachers, and the enrollment is increasing at this level, he said.
About half of the replacement teachers have experience with other school systems, and the rest are first-year teachers.
Lucas said the turnover among the county's 1,080 teachers has remained fairly constant in recent years, but it's likely to increase as more retire.
Salem hired 12 new teachers and a school psychologist this year.
Except for some types of special education teachers and other speciality positions, valley school officials said, they have no trouble filling teaching posts.
Indeed, they have dozens of applicants for almost every vacancy. Roanoke has an active file of about 2,000 applicants, and Roanoke County received 1,200 applications this year alone.
Because of the large pool of applicants, Roanoke doesn't advertise most teaching vacancies, Pleasants said. Occasionally, city schools will advertise for applications for special education posts such as those in the preschool program for handicapped children, she said.
"We have an abundance of applications," said Martha Ratcliff, personnel director for Salem schools, but she didn't have a number.
"We have no problem with applications for most positions, but in some special areas, there aren't as many applicants," Lucas said.
Recent increases in teachers' salaries have helped make Roanoke and Roanoke County schools more appealing to teacher applicants.
"It's a wonderful draw," said Pleasants, noting that the city hopes to reach its goal of raising teachers' pay to the national average by next year.
Recent increases in the county's salaries have helped attract more applicants, Lucas said. The county also plans to boost its pay to the national average.
Salem's salaries are higher than those in Roanoke and Roanoke County and traditionally rank among the top 10 school systems in the state.
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