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F
<br />ft
<br />posting
<br />ads for
<br />teachers
<br />In fast- growing Johnston County,
<br />the midyear reciubing season
<br />has become crucial. Vl c.Ws need
<br />kr tsathers is ❑3so urgent.
<br />BY GLENNA B. MuSANTE
<br />STAFF WRITER
<br />TIere.,vas a time t'^eTria_lclewhen
<br />the annual push to find teachers began
<br />with job faits in the spring and ended just
<br />as classes began in the fall.
<br />No more. Whether you talk with
<br />recruiters in big, rich Ware County or
<br />quiet, rural Harnett, midyear recruiting
<br />has become what summer used to be.
<br />Recruiters say the region's population
<br />boom is pushing the mange. Student
<br />enrollment is growing daily and so is the
<br />number of teachers. And that, in turn,
<br />means that more teachers are retiring,
<br />quitting, moving to other jobs or leaving
<br />over Christmas break.
<br />"It's a big deal," said Dr. Arnold Leonard,
<br />director of recruiting in Harnett. "It's more
<br />like summer than it has ever been. We are
<br />having more vacancies during the school
<br />year, with fever candidates."
<br />Johnston County has been so pressed
<br />for teachers it decided to run radio and
<br />television ads in Demniber and January
<br />to fill 50 openings.
<br />"It's the first time we've ever run ads."
<br />said recruiting director Joyce Wade. "We
<br />have to be proactive and aggressive in
<br />our recruitment efforts to meet the needs.
<br />With all our growth, we had to try new
<br />avenues."
<br />The effort seems to Dave wor:i2d. vaca
<br />said the number of vacancies has been
<br />winnowed to 14. "Last weep we sent out
<br />150 applications," in response to the ads,
<br />she said.
<br />Johnston has the third - fastest - ?rowing
<br />stuaent �opuiatton in the state. It
<br />increased by 938 students last year and
<br />today stands at about 19,300. The num-
<br />ber of teachers has expanded 39 percent
<br />tv�i-e ye —art, goutg trim 98U �ine 1992 -
<br />c oo year o ,' an ount-
<br />MONDAY, JANUARY 25, 1999
<br />"That's just plain old growth," `Made
<br />said. W -'- ,
<br />Johnston's ad caXP -: __
<br />didates from about a loo mile radius.
<br />"It was great. five mrgete -a V- Acuu:x
<br />didn't even kno to v were oolong,
<br />N age said, including teachers tram as far
<br />awav as Vir ttua.
<br />oni McLaughlin, a teacher in Lake
<br />Gaston, heard Johnston's ad while out
<br />driving on a teacher work day, at a time
<br />when she normally would have been in
<br />class. Two days later she was in
<br />Smithfield interviewing for a teaching job.
<br />McLaughlin said she had been thinking of
<br />moving to the Triangle, and the radio ad
<br />was the catalyst.
<br />Exact figures will not be available until
<br />the end of January, but Wake and
<br />Johnston recruiters retort two reasons ---- --
<br />for the midyear teaching vacancies. assistant superintendent for
<br />"Most of our openings are from typ' ' human resources. "TMidyear, it';
<br />Cal turnover,' Wade .i to team^ ..ar ; -Cr iC' 110W marl:
<br />retiring, moving or taking? new lobs openings we have. Because of our
<br />size' we are ve
<br />at midyear. The salaries of the very :,1q
<br />a movirq
<br />replacements hired will continue large:. similar to Durham but or.
<br />state. larger scale.
<br />to be covered by the State. ",Ve'r? a
<br />But some of the vac, ;a, »� r pin; a lc t o mld,, e.:=
<br />new teaching nr�;t n„�r recruit;- site said, and not just
<br />either be of new programs or to plug current vacancies. N,Pz-
<br />oecause of the ar�wina s ,r ,� r sum rand fail.
<br />t r P Y A- school syste.n will be oeeni-- ei�nt
<br />ula. ---- u° .A d it will be ne'ct all 'before ne�N scncols.
<br />al state begins paving these "We're anticipating that with
<br />salaries. turnover, retirement and r
<br />"We just have to fir-ancially make we :re Q growth.
<br />previsions for that." said Wade. ant - otna to need between ann arr
<br />set aside more,, � -`Iuu Lne vj teachers." Doss said
<br />mom local funds. ,OMerfactor ushin u tiles, e';
<br />Recruiters in the Durham Public p t p ; h -
<br />Sc:too�s she a simuar trend. Ye do need for teachers is the schor,
<br />board's new coal that 95 percent of
<br />SaMulaAlonds, the third - graders and eighth-
<br />coordinator forrecruitment. "We've graders pass the annual end -of-
<br />a lot of addiiion�- grade tests. Last year, that figure
<br />dents after the oreak, was about 80 percent.
<br />espec.auv titspamc students C-The Said at since o fall. The recruiting pace in Johnston
<br />late fa the ,nay soon- catch up with Wa:ie,
<br />system constantly has had from 20 because state numbers indic -ate
<br />to 30 vacancies. "Every week you that Joh i,
<br />take one off and you put one up," attest growing school noplation
<br />she said.
<br />Th¢ aging hn�r+ + �Ii iNoRn Carolina by 2007.
<br />Wh
<br />County: with its Q3 000 stud �,t� put
<br />at most people ought was
<br />in tiVake. it' t a summer activity is now going on
<br />massive growth, recruitingha' twelve months out of the year," with
<br />me a year -roue to -court spikes in summer and winter, Wade
<br />said. It just doesn't stop."
<br />We're now even recruiting for
<br />next fall." ��;,; noi„--, n,,_ Glenna 8. Musante can be reached
<br />
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