Are we experiencing a shortage of the supply of labor or do we have a shortage of supplies? Well, actually we have both. Frankly I am not sure how quickly either one will rectify itself. Let's start with the supply chain since it has garnered so much media attention lately. First off, a large part of the supply chain issue is correlated directly to the shortage of labor. There are not a enough dock workers to unload the cargo ships in the ports. Once they get the ships unloaded, there aren't enough truck drivers to get them to where they need to go. That isn't my labor problem (I'll get to that in a few minutes), but it does partially explain the supply chain issue we are dealing with.
Granted, we have been able to get by but there are good and services that we are simply still waiting on. For example, some computer hardware that was ordered last April has yet to arrive. Obviously it is on back order, but we keep getting information that we are next on the list. As of right now, we anticipate delivery in January. At the beginning of the school year we decided that we needed to order another school van. When I placed the order in September, it was a 30 week lead time. This means it is entirely likely our new van won't arrive before the end of the school year (or at least very close to it). If there is good news, then we'll have the new van in time for the start of the new school year! Our new school bus that was ordered last spring was delayed as well, thankfully it arrived in just the last few weeks. We desperately needed it as well! (We are also having a terrible time getting bus parts to keep all our buses on the road.) Here we are, into the second week of December and still have summertime orders trickling in!
Right before the start of the school year (and I mean right before the start of the school year), our food distributor decided to drop all their Iowa customers. That left us scrambling, and fortunately we were able to find a new distributor--but it is still common for our cooks to have to make a trip to the grocery store. A few weeks back I was on my way to scold someone for parking in a 'no parking zone' outside the kitchen dock only to realize it was one of our cooks unloading a trunkful of groceries. To this day we still do not have a bread distributor and we frequently have to recalibrate menus based on what was delivered that particular week.
As far as labor goes, we are currently short two full time paraprofessional positions in the district. Truth be told, I consider myself lucky when it comes to that. I have colleagues who have teaching positions that have been open all year and bus driving positions that are unfilled right now. The consequence of this is extended routes with more passengers and large classroom sizes. Probably neither of which are real great combinations in the (hopefully) twilight of COVID! Another notable shortage area in Hudson right now is our substitute teaching pool. Hopefully a raise in pay that kicks in for those folks on January 1st will help mitigate some of that.
So what's the answer? Seriously, I'm asking you, what is the answer!?
When it comes to our challenges with the supply chain, I think the best approach right now is to exercise patience. Admittedly it is difficult for me at times and I want to take those frustrations out on the person on the other end of the phone. I do believe if they could fix it, they would. In terms of labor, I think first and foremost it is important to be able to compete in this labor market. Filling a position is one thing. Filling a position with a quality person that is going to be able to maintain our very high educational standards is another. Then once we get that employee on our payroll we need to make sure they have a good experience, feel support, and that they are a part of the team so we can keep them!
Did I mention that I am short two paras and am always looks for subs? Please reach out if you are interested!
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