The Human Resources Department at Newton County School System (NCSS) has a big job. Among other things, the Department, under the direction of Nyree Sanders, recruits, hires, and on-boards new teachers, administrators, and classified employees (the System’s name for non-teaching staff members).
Recently, they have done a lot of this work.
In the past 12 months, the school system filled 191 teacher openings and 189 classified openings. Given that NCSS employs 2,601, it has hired just nearly 15 percent of its workforce in the last year. The Human Resources Department also recruits and maintains a pool of substitute teachers.
The department’s work has been recognized. NCSS Superintendent Samantha Furhrey reports, “Our human resource team was recently recognized by the Georgia Association of School Personnel Administrators for their outstanding recruitment process and materials.”
Although retirements, resignations or other circumstances can create openings during the school year, most of the recruitment and hiring occurs between April and the start of school in July.
“Our Human Resource team works diligently to ensure each of our schools is staffed with high-quality employees,” Fuhrey said. “The single-most influential factor on students’ achievement and growth is the classroom teacher; therefore, hiring the best and most qualified teachers for each of our classrooms is paramount to any other function of our human resource team.”
When it comes to hiring new teachers, Newton County School System faces several challenges. Regional competition for qualified teachers is stiff. Sanders estimates nearby schools, all of which are competing for the same folks, hire between 300 and 400 teachers each year. She also notes two troubling workforce trends. Fewer people seem to be completing teacher preparation programs.
Superintendent Fuhrey agrees. “With the decrease in the number of education graduates from colleges, the pool of qualified candidates is the shallowest I have seen in my career,” she said. “The other trend is that it seems the number of teachers retiring or resigning to work elsewhere — either as a teacher or in some other job — is increasing. Finally, a chronic shortage of highly qualified applicants exists in certain fields, including special education as well as middle school mathematics and foreign language.”
Despite its challenges, NCSS typically receives 20 to 50 applicants for most teacher openings and has always filled its vacancies.
Nevertheless, things can go awry and, as happened this year, a few classes can begin with substitute teachers. As the parent of a student in one such class reported, that circumstance can cause confusion.
Sanders noted that school principals are charged with informing and updating parents about such situations and when a permanent teacher is expected to be hired. She added that parents are always welcome to contact their school’s principal with questions or concerns.
According to Sanders, NCSS hires and employs many people other than teachers. While teachers number 1,313 and make up the majority of its workforce, NCSS also employs 99 administrators and 1,100 classified employees.
Those numbers do not include substitute teachers. That pool includes over 200 substitutes and Newton County School System is currently looking to expand that number. Anyone interested in substitute teaching, or in any of the Newton County School System’s job openings, may find the position listings as well as the application process and materials online or they may contact the NCSS Human Resources Department.
Sanders summarizes the approach taken by the department. “We try our best to pay attention to detail, answer questions for applicants and help them navigate through the process,” she said. “Any hiring decision is made based on what’s best for students and the School System as a whole.”
