Pender County teachers take on additional roles as district feels strain from staff shortage

PENDER COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — Pender County Schools struggled with staff shortage before the coronavirus pandemic and now it has only gotten worse. Some teachers are having to step into new roles to fill the empty positions.

Sylvia Wilkins has taught in the county for 31 years. She currently teaches business, career expedition and STEM at West Pender Middle School. She also works in the cafeteria each morning after noticing the cafeteria manager was the only person working that shift.

“My purpose for doing it is because I see the need, and when I see something that needs to be done, I don’t wait to be asked to do it,”Wilkins said. “I just fall in and do it.”

Jared Pinkston, who teaches CTE and Robotics, Drones, and Technology at Pender High School, also has been driving a school bus for the past two weeks.

He says he was glad to help out while the district continues to try and fill positions.

“It definitely gives me a new perspective, but also I just like that it gives me a chance to connect more with the students that I have,” Pinkston said. “Seeing them at their home, and just getting that few minutes where they’re like ‘okay, I know this person outside of class.”

Wilkins says students have an opportunity to learn from teachers who stepped up to help.

“For the kids to see us as adults, or myself as an adult not only standing in that classroom teaching them these are things we want to instill in our kids,” she said. “That they also, when they become the leaders for tomorrow, that they will also have the same attitude, that they will do the same things that they see us doing.”

Pender County Schools Spokesman Alex Riley said the district, like many other across the country, saw a staff shortage before the pandemic and it continues to be an issue.

“Bodies are limited in education right now, there’s been a lot of folks who have gotten out of the field or not entered the field for a various number of reasons, and then you know, COVID has kind of exacerbated that with staff members having to be quarantined and isolated,” Riley said.

The school system is hiring multiple positions and offers a reminder to those with career background in education that there are opportunities that can lead you to become a teacher.