Education
Education

Gwinnett schools have three weeks to hire 75 teachers

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July 17, 2015

With less than a month before the new school year begins, Gwinnett County school officials said Thursday they have 75 teacher vacancies.

Nearly one-half of those vacancies are for special education teachers, officials said.

Frances Davis, Gwinnett’s associate superintendent for human resources and talent management, told board members she’s confident the district will fill the positions before the school year starts August 10. Board member Louise Radloff asked several questions about the trouble hiring and retaining special education teachers.

“That is a national problem with special education,” Davis said.

Davis said some of the challenges keeping special education teachers include the numerous legal requirements they must adhere to and the mountains of paperwork they have to fill out. Radloff said state or federal legislation may be needed to recruit and retain more special education teachers.

“It’s really a challenge,” said Radloff, who’s been on the Gwinnett school board since 1973. “There’s a lot of burnout. I think it’s going to be a huge issue down the road.”

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.

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