DOVER, Del. --- Hailey Parks didn't think she'd be teaching at Central Middle School in Dover --- let alone Delaware.
The Sussex County native went to Old Dominion University in Virginia but caught the attention of Capital School District recruiters at a job fair and ended up getting at Central Middle School for this school year.
"I was in very high demand because I was special ed and I was gonna be math certified as well so that's a huge thing to be double-certified in my field," she said.
But many school districts are still trying to hire teachers like Parks, according to Mike Matthews, the president of the Delaware State Education Association.
Matthews said during visits to schools across the state he's heard some districts are dealing with as many as 50 vacancies heading into the new school year, partially because of fewer college students seeking to become teachers.
"We have at our local colleges and universities---as we do across the country---smaller numbers of individuals entering schools of education," he said.
Rob Grey with the Delaware Department of Education said the state has recently turned to social media and a new website to try and attract candidates from across the country.
"This is the new age we're entering where social media and digital platforms, that's got to be part of anything we build," he said.
