Metro uses bonus pay plan to fill vacancies

WkRN Channel 2 The $4,000 bonus offered by Metro schools this year to fill teacher vacancies in high-demand subjects like math and special education seems to be working. Metro schools started the new school year Monday 21 teachers short, about that same as last year, but not bad for a system with nearly 5,000 teachers. Last year, a majority of the vacancies were in math. This year there is only three, namely because the $4,000 bonus. "I think we have a new advantage in hiring that we haven't had before," said Assistant Superintendent Dr. June Keel. Kevin Deans is new to Metro but not new to teaching. A career opportunity for his wife brought him to Middle Tennessee from upstate New York. He liked what he saw in Metro schools and then came the bonus. "I was shocked. I was absolutely shocked," he told News 2. "I kind of had this idea I'll believe it when I see it but yes, definitely, especially since we have four-year-old twins, and we just relocated here, it was definitely an incentive." The bonus pay plan was worked out with the teacher's association. So far, Metro has used it to sign 21 math teachers and 16 special education teachers. The said they still have a few openings to fill in both specialties.