How to Address Teacher Shortage: 7 Benefits of Partnering with a Virtual School

Teachers are at the heart of the learning process. They’re the ones walking beside students for every aha moment, inspiring a lifelong love of learning, and building those critical relationships that lead to student success.

But, in all too many districts, administrators are finding themselves without enough teachers to meet their students’ needs. Especially in certain high-need subjects like math, science, foreign languages, and special education, teacher shortage is a consistent concern.

When administrators consider how to address these staffing challenges, virtual school partnerships are an option that often do not quickly come to mind. However, virtual courses, like those provided through Edmentum’s fully accredited EdOptions Academy, are a convenient, cost-effective solution to provide students with access to the classes they want, along with the high-quality teachers they need to be successful.

EdOptions Academy partners directly with districts and schools across the country to step in with state-certified, extensively trained teachers and proven digital curricula for in-demand subjects when faced with the challenge of teacher shortage. Here are seven benefits to partnership with EdOptions Academy to meet your staffing needs:

1. Expand course offerings without placing extra burden on the staff you have in place.

Students want lots of options in the courses available to them, but when just one or two students are interested in a specific course, you may not have the staff or instructional resources to meet their request. EdOptions Academy can step in to cover these low-demand courses, including courses for use with Advanced Placement® exams, World Languages, and career and technical education offerings.

2. Solve short-term staffing needs.

Students can sign up for EdOptions Academy courses at any time and begin working immediately. If you find yourself with a last-minute opening for an educator where you’re struggling to find the right candidate, enrolling students in a fully virtual course can fill that gap.

3. Offer a cost-effective solution for your district.

It is a fact of life for all administrators—budgets are tight. When you’re dealing with a teacher shortage, you can enroll students in only the specific EdOptions Academy courses they need in order to fill staffing gaps. This comes at a fraction of the costs that can easily be incurred through recruiting additional full-time staff, particularly for hard-to-fill positions.

4. Teachers are certified in your state and licensed in their subject matter.

EdOptions Academy instructors have at least three years of classroom experience, and they receive specialized training in online instruction. By partnering with our virtual school, you can eliminate the need to consider emergency teacher certification.

5. Online curriculum is pedagogically sound and built to meet your state graduation requirements.

EdOptions Academy courses leverage Edmentum’s proven curriculum, designed to provide students with an experience that is rigorous, engaging, and aligned to your state’s unique standards. Courses are developed by our curriculum and instructional design experts to engage multiple learning modalities, facilitate collaboration, and encourage critical thinking. In fact, EdOptions Academy has even received the ISTE Seal of Alignment for Readiness.

6. Provide students with a flexible, personalized learning experience.

With fully virtual courses, students can take advantage of the flexibility to work when, where, and how fast or slow they want. Provide supervised lab time for students to work independently within school buildings, or offer them the freedom to work at home. No matter what approach you take, online assessments and curricula can be tailored to students’ preferences and allow for review of material they are struggling with. Plus, EdOptions Academy teachers provide quick feedback, prepare weekly progress reports, and ensure that students are receiving the support they need.

7. Avoid losing students.

In today’s education landscape, students have options when it comes to their academic careers. With open enrollment, charter schools, and independent virtual academies, students will often simply leave when their current school isn’t offering the courses or rigor they want. By partnering with EdOptions Academy to expand your students’ choices, you can keep your school or district enrollment up, even in the face of challenges like teacher shortage.

At EdOptions Academy, it’s our priority to be more than a virtual school vendor—we’re dedicated to creating a true partnership with each school and district that we work with. Check out this on-demand webinar to learn more about how your school or district can address teacher shortage with our fully accredited virtual courses.