Charles County Public Schools leaders outlined multiple recruitment and retention efforts at the Oct. 14 board meeting, saying the district has increased hiring of licensed and conditionally licensed teachers, expanded substitute coverage and developed grow‑your‑own pathways while acknowledging continuing shortages in special education and other subject areas.

What the district reported: Nikki Majors, chief human resources officer, said the district hired 251 teachers for the year (up from previous years), reduced its number of long‑open special‑education vacancies and expanded targeted recruitment programs. Staff said targeted outreach included paid marketing for district job fairs, a focused campaign for former government employees and retirees, outreach to military spouses, and targeted advertising via recruitment platforms. The district’s international teacher pilot—bringing licensed secondary math teachers from overseas—entered its third cohort with 15 placements in secondary math.

Substitutes: CCPS reported improved substitute coverage; in September the district recorded a 76.88% overall substitute fill rate compared with about 60.8% last year. District staff highlighted a dedicated‑substitute pilot that assigns at least one dedicated substitute per school to improve daily coverage and continuity. The board was told the program has been adjusted to maintain one dedicated substitute per school while managing costs.

Grow‑Your‑Own and mentoring: The Office of Professional Learning described multiple programs to recruit and retain teachers. The Instructional Assistant Academy (launched 2022) has trained nearly 200 instructional assistants and helped a portion transition into teaching; the Teacher Academy of Maryland (TAM) continues to enroll CCPS high‑school students and support future teachers with scholarships and partnerships. Expanded mentor cohorts, anchor mentors, and school‑based National Board support were highlighted as retention strategies. Corinne Devers (National Board supports) described funding from MSDE and district stipends for candidates and school‑based cohorts.

Special education and staffing gaps: Human resources and special‑education leaders warned of continued shortage areas—special education, math and science—and said that while hiring outcomes have improved, some positions still require conditional licensing or long‑term substitutes. Charlene Ogburn and staff said the district’s substitute and temporary‑hire pipelines remain essential.

Why it matters: The mix of recruitment strategies aims to address shortfalls and to grow a workforce that reflects student demographics. Staff asked the board to sustain support for grant‑funded mentorship programs, which contribute to early‑career retention.

Ending: Board members praised the broad set of initiatives and asked for continued monitoring of outcomes, including retention metrics and the conversion rates of instructional assistants into certified teachers.