Gwinnett County Public Schools anticipates starting the upcoming academic year with a fuller staff than years past, welcoming 1,489 new teachers and about 200 counselors, therapists and other support staff at its annual orientation this week.
Gwinnett, the state’s largest public school district, approaches the upcoming school year with about 70 classroom vacancies out of 12,779 positions. A year ago, there were 250 vacancies. The year before that, there were 226.
The DeKalb County school board reviewed hiring data in metro Atlanta’s larger districts as of July 8, and most districts by then had at least 97% of teaching jobs filled. DeKalb and Clayton counties were outliers, with 93% and 90% of positions filled, respectively. Gwinnett’s rate is about 99%.
In recent years, Gwinnett has emphasized improving its teacher retention rate. A study presented to district leaders last year showed Gwinnett’s turnover, which includes teachers who switch schools or move to nonteaching roles within the county and retirees, slightly outpaced the national and state average. The most recent data from the National Center for Education Statistics, however, shows Gwinnett outperformed the national average in the 2021-2022 school year. The district’s retention rate was 86% versus the national rate of 84%.
Gwinnett school board members have pressed the district to focus on retention, particularly on schools with a larger population of students from low-income families. Board member Adrienne Simmons expressed concern that teachers start their careers in those schools and request a transfer once they are allowed.
The district stated in a news release that efforts to help teachers in the job include mentorship programs, increased leadership opportunities and consistent feedback.
“We want to give you the support and everything you need to thrive,” school board Chair Steve Knudsen said at the orientation.
He noted the massive growth the county has seen over the last three decades — Gwinnett’s enrollment has increased since 1994 from roughly 80,000 students to more than 182,000 — and said the schools have been a major draw for families.
Knudsen assured any teacher nervous to start the job that they belong in the district and charged them to create a sense of belonging for their students in the classroom. Superintendent Calvin Watts told the new staff to embrace change because “we can’t improve until we change.”
Ashley Moore said the resources available and support for the arts she observed in the district drew her to Gwinnett. Moore, who donned treble clef earrings for the orientation, will teach music at Norton Elementary School in Snellville after several years in South Carolina and other Georgia districts.
“I have a lot of instruments,” she said. “I visited my classroom yesterday, and I have Boomwhackers, djembe drums, ukuleles.”
She’s also working to launch a band program after school so fourth and fifth graders can have earlier exposure to wind instruments. She said going from being a high school band director to a general music teacher for younger students will be a challenge, but she’s excited to help students start their musical journey and hopefully encourage them to continue music in later grades.
Moore agreed with Knudsen’s sentiment that teaching can be a difficult career.
“If you’re here just to do a job, you’re not going to like it, and you’re going to leave,” she said. “I love music, and I’ve always known I want to teach. It’s about doing what you love.”
| School district | Percentage of teaching positions filled as of July 8 |
|---|---|
| Atlanta | 98% |
| Clayton | 90% |
| Cobb | 99% |
| DeKalb | 93% |
| Fulton | 99% |
| Gwinnett (data as of July 18) | 99% |
Source: DeKalb County Public Schools, Gwinnett County Public Schools.
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