42 DeKalb Schools classrooms still missing full-time teachers, officials say

A month into the school year, the DeKalb County School District currently has 42 teacher vacancies. (FILE PHOTO)

A month into the school year, the DeKalb County School District currently has 42 teacher vacancies. (FILE PHOTO)

A month into the new school year, the DeKalb County School District still has 42 teacher vacancies to fill.

Everett Patrick, the district's interim human capital management officer, announced the number Tuesday during the district's monthly school board meeting, delayed a week as Irma caused chaos and closed schools in metro Atlanta.

District officials see the number as progress. At the same time last year, Patrick said the district had 176 vacancies.

During the monthly board meeting on Sept, 12, 2016, then-Human Capital Management Officer Leo Brown said the district had 134 vacancies.

The district also uses certification waivers to assist with hard-to-fill vacancies in high-need roles, including Science, Technology, Engineering and Math and special education positions. The district had about 100 uncertified teachers during the last school year. The number so far this year is 154.

District officials have said a greater focus on recruiting and an expanded recruiting process has helped widen the pool of candidates in the last year.

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