Tempe Union details teacher hiring, warns of shrinking applicant pool and launches local preparation program

Dr. Mary Keller, Tempe Union’s director of human resources, told the governing board the district hired 93 certificated staff this year — 77 teachers plus counselors, social workers, psychologists and four new assistant principals — but faces a shrinking national pool of applicants.

Keller said the district’s vendor data (Frontline) show applicants-per-posting have fallen from roughly 15–16 to about eight on average. “The supply of teachers has gone down,” Keller said, noting the drop is nationwide rather than regional. She pointed to particular shortages in science, math, social studies and world languages and flagged a decline in teachers willing to take leadership roles: “people don't have the time, don't want to do anything more than what they need to do.”

The presentation included local breakdowns: Desert Vista led site hires this year (18), science accounted for 19% of hires and math 17%, and Tempe High had the lowest average years of experience (about 12.1). Keller also compared teacher and student demographics, saying classroom teachers are 76% white while students are 33% white and 45% Hispanic, and flagged that Arizona universities report low enrollment in secondary-education bachelor programs (149 students at NAU in secondary education in the cited data).

Keller reviewed retention trends going back to 2018, noting a sharp perturbation in 2021–22 when the district lost more staff (about 117 that year) and fell to roughly 83% retention; current rates were presented near 89%. Exit surveys show the top reported reason for leaving was accepting another position (often outside education), followed by relocation, health/family reasons and ‘‘other’’ (which includes returning to school or starting a new career). Keller said many departures cited burnout or work–life balance rather than pay alone.

To address shortages the district has sought state approval for an education preparation/alternative-certification program to “grow your own” teachers from STEM and industry backgrounds; Keller said Tempe Union currently has four participants enrolled in the program and is providing instructional coaches and mentors as retention tools. She recommended targeted recruitment and marketing of these supports to prospective candidates.

Board members asked for follow-up data on applicant demographics and the number of ESSER-funded positions; Keller committed to provide those breakdowns. Members also pressed for continued focus on incentives for hard-to-fill areas and on ways to increase teacher diversity and longevity.

The presentation closed with Keller saying district retention “is something we watch very closely” and that the board will receive additional, periodic data through their monitoring calendar.