The pandemic made an already major teacher shortage in California even worse. But Nevada County’s Superintendent of Schools, Scott Lay, is reporting progress. He indicates numbers are much better, going into a year without restrictions for the first time in two years. Meanwhile, there are also still significant staffing concerns in certain specialties….

click to listen to Scott Lay

Lay says strong recruitment programs, that started earlier in the summer, have also helped. He says people have adjusted more to any lingering COVID fears and are coming back to the classroom. But he says the chronic wildfire danger has also had its impacts…

click to listen to Scott Lay

Overall, Lay says teachers, administrators, and staff feel more of a sense of relief about being able to focus more on simply educating students.