The Eatonton Messenger
Students returning to school this month will see old friends—plus a healthy contingent of new faces among teachers and staff.
Altogether, 42 of the 227 certified teachers (nearly 19 percent), in the Putnam County Charter School System’s four schools will be new to the district. Another four have moved up through the ranks in the system’s teacher development program, according to the system’s human resources director, Dr. Fernando Aker.
“Most of the key positions have been filled,” Aker said, though some late-summer resignations may still cause some scrambling.
Some of the positions come with growth in the student population. After decades of remarkably stable school-age populations, the high school alone expects more than 100 additional students this fall.
Historically, recruiting math and science specialists is “most challenging,” said Akers, with special ed a close second.
Aker credits an early start in recruiting last spring by principals and staff for being able to fill virtually all openings for teachers. Some vacancies still exist for support staff, which range from counselors to custodians and bus drivers to lunchroom workers.
With close to 500 employees at any given time, the school system is a major, if not the largest employer in the county.