This is new to me, but reading the predicament Milpitas California is in–having visited this expensive area–I commend the school district for this clever idea. Interesting that this article is about a US school in a UK newspaper, Metro 50:
School district asks parents to house teachers amid high cost of living
Teachers have been quitting their jobs at an alarming rate in one California school district — not because they’re leaving the profession, but because they cannot afford to live near their schools.
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Jacqui Murray has been teaching K-18 technology for 30 years. She is the editor/author of over a hundred tech ed resources including a K-12 technology curriculum, K-8 keyboard curriculum, K-8 Digital Citizenship curriculum. She is an adjunct professor in tech ed, Master Teacher, webmaster for four blogs, an Amazon Vine Voice, freelance journalist on tech ed topics, and author of the tech thrillers, To Hunt a Sub and Twenty-four Days. You can find her resources at Structured Learning.
That’s an interesting story, Jacqui. I wonder were the teachers happy to ‘board’ with parents. Seven leaving doesn’t seem a ‘mass’ exodus but I guess it depends on the number of teachers in a district.
I know that area and it is very expensive. But it always has been. That part of California has also become increasingly lawless so that could be part of why teachers are gettin’ out of Dodge!
Good point, Jacqui.
This is wild, Jacqui. It’s a creative solution, but I can’t imagine too many teachers would think this is a great idea. This takes “home visit” to a whole new level.🤣
I wouldn’t be interested. You’d become a live-in tutor in off-hours. There are much better solutions you and I could come up with!
Our daughter went to school in the bay-area so I am aware of the very high cost of real estate out there. However, I don’t think teachers living with the students’ parents seem like a good idea. I wouldn’t mind housing a teacher but I think the teacher might. What seems reasonable to me is raising the teachers’ salaries to match the situation or providing teachers with housing. Yes taxes will go up but that’s too bad, it’s that kind of area and the residents have to accept that.
That was my first thought, too–maybe provide a housing allowance. The military does that for soldiers (I know because both my kids are in the military). They have their base pay and then BAH (I think that’s what the extra stipend is called) that reflects housing and living expenses wherever the soldier is assigned. It works well.
That’s crazy, I teach in San Mateo and live in Union City both are in California. I’ve not heard of this yet. It definitely is expensive living here.
Maybe there’s a reason I had to read about it in a UK paper! But really–not sure why. There are many historic ways various government entities have solved/addressed housing issues. For game wardens in remote areas, the government provides homes. And teachers in the old west were usually provided one in the town they taught in (with their one-room schoolhouse). Not suggesting either of these, just thinking through options.
Do you teach? Do teachers have to commute a distance to your area?