There’s no question that Albert Lea Area Schools and many other rural districts across the state are feeling the strain from a rising teacher shortage.

A recent report by the Office of the State Legislative Auditor found that 80 percent of school administrators said it was difficult or very difficult to fill open positions for this school year, according to a survey referenced in an article in the Mankato Free Press last week.

“A Minnesota Department of Education study last year found that the number of teaching licenses awarded over the last five years has decreased by 7 percent, and 6 percent of teachers have waivers because they don’t have the required license to teach a course they are teaching,” the article stated.

We recognize it is no easy task to come up with a solution to what many have described as a crisis — a crisis that affects our children and future leaders.

While we appreciate the Albert Lea school administration’s ongoing efforts to overcome this shortage, we question the proposal presented at Monday night’s Albert Lea School Board meeting by high school Principal Mark Grossklaus to counter this problem.

Grossklaus recommended not renewing the contracts of varsity girls’ soccer coach Rick Barnhill, varsity boys’ soccer coach Bob Furland and varsity volleyball coach Jamie Cameron in an effort to help the district find experienced teachers. The policy would require coaches to be licensed teachers in the district, but makes an exception for retired district teachers.

Grossklaus said some quality teaching candidates are looking for head coaching positions, and the new policy could be used as a recruiting tool.

The men who hold the three coaching positions now are not licensed teachers and are not retired teachers from the district.

All three of these coaches have led good programs and seem to be well-liked by their players. Students and parents even attended the Monday meeting to show their support for the men.

In addition to giving lessons on the field and the court, these coaches are giving valuable lessons about life. While Cameron and Furland have only been head coaches for one season, Barnhill has been one for 12.

Though we agree that the need to find teachers is high, we question why the new policy can’t simply go into effect for new hires, such as the football coach.

It seems a shame to not renew contracts of coaches who are leading strong programs and who are positively impacting the students they lead.

We urge the School Board to seek out more information about this proposal before making a decision.

There are simply too many unanswered questions.

We also urge the school administration to be open about the proposal and to make a concerted effort to answer questions by the public on this issue. Consider following the example of Albert Lea Mayor Vern Rasmussen Jr., who hosts a session once a month where residents can ask questions and get feedback about their concerns.

As a community we deserve better communication.