Gwinnett looking to hire 59 teachers
With less than a month before the first day of school, Gwinnett County officials said Thursday they have 59 teacher positions to fill.
Gwinnett, the state’s largest school district, has about 11,000 teachers. Twenty-two of the 59 vacancies are for special education teachers, officials told school board members. Hiring and retaining special education teachers has been a constant challenge for Gwinnett and many Georgia school districts.
Gwinnett is offering employees a $250 bonus if they refer people who are hired to teach special education, math, foreign language and science. A Gwinnett official was optimistic the school district will fill the teacher vacancies before classes start on Aug. 8.
“We feel real confident that we will get those 59 teachers by the first day of school,” Frances Davis, Gwinnett’s executive director of human resources, told the board.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported last month that Gwinnett had 264 teacher vacancies. Metro Atlanta's school districts had more than 2,000 vacancies, the AJC reported.
Gwinnett is also looking to hire 64 bus drivers. Officials insist they currently have enough drivers, but would like to have additional drivers in case some are unable to work because of illness, which they said frequently occurs during flu season.
About the Author
Eric Stirgus joined The Atlanta Journal-Constitution in 2001. He is the newsroom's education editor. Born and raised in Brooklyn, N.Y., Eric is active in the Atlanta Association of Black Journalists and the Education Writers Association and enjoys mentoring aspiring journalists.
