Students struggle with teacher shortage in Lee County Schools

Reporter: Claire Galt Writer: Rachel Murphy
Published: Updated:
Empty desk in a Lee County School classroom (CREDIT: WINK News)

Students are feeling the impact of the teacher shortage and told WINK News how it’s affecting their studies.

“My Spanish teacher, she’s teaching a math class right now,” said Alicia, a student in Lee County Schools. “I’m doing a problem. Oh, my goodness, I can’t figure it out. Then you’re stuck. Now you have to either take it into your own hands or give up. Go home and watch YouTube videos. There’s not much you can do.”

According to students WINK News spoke to, classes of 20 kids are rising to 30, sometimes 40 people in a class.

Another Lee County High School student asked WINK News not to reveal his identity. He said, “Sixteen extra kids in a classroom is a lot. When you have a student that, always gets in trouble, likes being the class clown, it puts more stress on the teachers. There’s a lot of applications and scholarship deadlines and all that that I feel like I’m missing because communication just isn’t there.”

The Lee County School teacher shortage stands at 196, but the number is a week old. WINK News asked the district whether it hired any more teachers or if any quit. No one has responded.

The Collier County School District and teachers union are holding a bargaining session Tuesday. The district shared their plan to offer a salary package with a 10% increase.

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