VIDALIA, La. — For Tina Fitt, the choice of where to teach was a no-brainer. &uot;I never considered going anywhere else,&uot; said Fitt, who teaches fourth grade at Vidalia Upper Elementary. &uot;I went through school here. I teach the children of the people I went to school with, and some of the teachers that taught me are still here. I feel more at home because I am home.&uot;

Still, the majority of graduating teachers look to other factors when decided which district they want to teach in, such as salaries, benefits, the condition of the school district and even the attractions of the surrounding community.

And that makes it difficult to attract certified teachers to rural districts, which cannot afford to match the salaries of districts such as New Orleans or Shreveport, do not have booming economies full of jobs for teachers spouses and cannot offer big-city attractions.

As a result, Concordia Parish has had to hire some uncertified teachers (it now has 18 uncertified instructors) to have enough instructors for its students — almost 270 teachers for 3,874 students.

But the district is taking what few steps it can to attract certified teachers to its schools in addition to starting distance learning classes with Louisiana Tech in March to help uncertified teachers work toward their certification, according to Superintendent Lester &uot;Pete&uot; Peterman.

Concordia Parish’s situation is not unique, according to figures from the American Association for Employment in Education. In the south central United States, there is a teacher shortage in general and in more than 25 subject areas, from special education and math to science and computer education.

And a study released in mid-January by the magazine Education Week showed that states efforts to recruit teachers were piecemeal.

For example, only 27 states have scholarship or loan-forgiveness programs for teachers, only 27 have Web sites that list job openings and only Massachusetts has signing bonuses for teachers.

In Concordia Parish, the first step toward getting the right number of certified teachers is to complete the staffing process for the 2000-01 year as soon as possible.

Staffing forms will be sent to current teachers in February and should be turned in by March 1, enabling the district to better estimate the number of new teachers the schools need to hire. The district searches for teachers throughout the year.

&uot;We go to all the career days at colleges and take a lot of applications there,&uot; Peterman said. &uot;And were always talking with people in other parishes who are already teaching and may be interested in moving here.&uot;

Often, inquires come from teachers who already have colleagues teaching in Concordia Parish, he added.

When wooing teachers from schools of education and from other systems, the district publicizes the advantages it can offer.

&uot;For example, we have a good teaching situation, plenty of technology and resources, a good retirement system and a safe schools,&uot; Peterman said.

Vidalia Upper fifth-grade teacher Johnston believes programs like job shadowing could be a way to introduce youth to teaching, letting them see what teaching careers really involve.

Giving education majors tours of the system during the school year could also help steer prospective teachers toward Concordia, she added.

&uot;Most visit the schools during the summer,&uot; Johnston said. &uot;If they could see the schools operate, if they could talk with teachers and parents, they could get a better feel for what the districts like and whether they want to come here.&uot;

The local economy — Concordia had Louisiana’s third-highest jobless rate for December — makes recruiting and retaining teachers more difficult.

&uot;A number of jobs have been lost in this area,&uot; Peterman said. &uot;We lost two teachers last year because their spouses had to find jobs elsewhere. Plus, the teachers themselves can make more elsewhere.&uot;

Concordia Parish’s average salary of $29,687 is lower than the Louisiana average of $31,510 and the southern regional average of $36,920.

And geography also puts Concordia in a unique position. Adams County can offer $24,165 to $45,790 a year depending on experience; Concordia, $22,647 to $34,036. The parish lost nine teachers to Adams County schools in the last two years; only two came back.

One possible solution, the idea of giving bonuses only to new teachers leaves Peterman cold.

&uot;We have a lot of employees who could have gone other places, but they stuck with us,&uot; he said. &uot;It’s not fair to give bonuses just to the people coming in and not to those whove stuck with us in the past. My hope is that salaries will go up so everyone can benefit.&uot;

And help may be on the horizon. Louisiana Gov. Mike Foster has said he is committed to giving teachers raises and will call a special session of the Legislature if necessary to see how those raises can be given.

&uot;I feel certain that raises will happen, but were not yet sure how much it will be,&uot; said Peterman, adding that he will be better informed about the possibility of raises after he attends meetings of the School Finance Commission Wednesday and Thursday.

Still, Fitt and Darla Johnston said if prospective teachers are making pay one of their major considerations, they are looking at the wrong profession.

&uot;We’re in it because we love working with children,&uot; said Johnston, who was also raised in Vidalia and moved back to teach. &uot;We’re not in it for the money.&uot;

Although pay might be a greater consideration for someone just coming out of college with no major ties to a particular area, the pair said they believe that a more intangible factor — the support of the community, administration and fellow teachers — is the number-one thing that keeps teachers in a system.

&uot;I love teaching, but it is a demanding profession, so you need that support,&uot; Fitt said.

&uot;(Teachers) can get thousands of dollars more just by crossing the bridge. But support weighs more than the dollar.&uot;