Case study · Whole-school staffing

120+ roles filled — when the incumbent agencies couldn't.

From bus drivers to certified teachers, FocusedEDU staffed an entire school where the agencies already on contract were falling short.

School: Odyssey Public Charter School
Location: Wilmington, DE
Partner since: 2021

120+: Placements across the school
95%: Day-to-day substitute fill rate
+40%: Improvement over the previous provider
13+: Distinct role types staffed

Client-attested outcomes from this FocusedEDU engagement; individual results vary.

The challenge

What they were up against.

Odyssey serves more than 1,000 K–8 students drawn from five different districts, with a 12:1 student-teacher ratio to protect. When traditional recruiting fell short — and the staffing agencies already under contract couldn't fill their open roles — the gaps spanned the whole building.

Substitute and classroom teachers, SLPs, OTs and PTs, psychologists, reading specialists, one-on-one aides, paraprofessionals, bus drivers, and support staff all needed covering in a limited local talent pool.

What we did

How FocusedEDU delivered.

We stepped in exactly where the incumbent agencies were falling short and built Odyssey a single, dependable pipeline across every role type — sourcing, interviewing, credentialing, and reference-checking each candidate before presenting a vetted shortlist for the school's final decision.

A customized recruiting plan — aggressive digital advertising, on-location information sessions, and grassroots outreach — built a talent pool deep enough to keep day-to-day coverage reliable, not just fill the occasional role.

The results

120+ placements across the school — bus drivers, certified teachers, paraprofessionals, and substitutes

A 95% fill rate on day-to-day substitutes — a 40%+ improvement over the previous provider

Succeeded where the incumbent agencies couldn't, with one partner covering 13+ distinct roles

Trusted and renewed as a partner since 2021

More proof

Washington, DC

IDEA Public Charter School

How FocusedEDU turned IDEA PCS from a hard-to-staff school into one educators want to work for — and filled every special-education role in the process.