The company, Red Rover, announced its new hiring tool on Jan. 9. According to a news release, districts that use the software can receive job applications from any web-browsing device, “which removes the friction of cumbersome job applications.”
“Our team has worked tirelessly to create a solution that simplifies the hiring process for districts of all sizes,” Red Rover co-founder and CEO Daniel O'Shaughnessy said in a public statement. “We are confident that Red Rover Hiring will transform how districts hire top talent for all positions.”
Red Rover’s website notes a product launch webinar scheduled for Jan. 17 but for the time being only provides a glimpse of the hiring tool, with photos and brief descriptions of its capabilities. One image shows that candidate lists with resumes and application status (applied, hired, or not hired) are accessible by clicking on the job posting. Another image displays how district employees involved in the hiring process can communicate with each other on the platform. There’s also a photo of customized functions that allow those on the hiring committee to choose application requirements and questions.
More than 900 school districts currently use Red Rover’s time tracking or absence management software, according to the website.
As of October 2023, public school staffing was still below pre-pandemic levels in most states, according to the U.S. Department of Education. Alaska reported the largest decrease, at 15.5 percent, followed by Florida (8.2 percent), and Montana (7.3 percent). Most states reported at least slight decreases, while Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, South Dakota, and Utah noted slight increases in their public school staffing levels.
Nationwide, public school staffing levels in October were down 0.17 percent compared to the same month in 2019, according to the U.S. Department of Education. The figures pertain to all job types, not just teachers or administrators. The federal agency has an online search function of teacher shortages by state and subject area for the current academic year, but it does not contain numbers.
In July 2023, the nonprofit research organization Learning Policy Institute published an incomplete list of unfilled teacher positions by state, counting 27,844 nationwide. Florida had the highest number of vacancies on that list at 3,911, followed by North Carolina (3,218), Mississippi (3,036) and Montana (2,349). Most states did not report vacancy numbers.
