By NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Retiring USD 308 assistant superintendent and director of human resources, Rick Kraus notes that there are some challenges for his replacement, Dr. Dawn Johnson as she comes in July 1, especially when it comes to hiring teachers.
"Ideally, you want to be full by the end of May," Kraus said. "The challenges in the last eight to ten years have made that very difficult to become a reality. We still have a handful of teaching positions that are unfilled, with not a lot of prospects on the horizon."
It's incumbent on the district to find the solid students that are coming into the workforce and get to them first.
"The only way to beat that is to hire early, which means maybe you gamble in December with some mid-year graduates in anticipation of perhaps some openings," Kraus said. "By the same token, when it comes to the life changing events, like the boyfriend finally proposes and they are going to move to Kansas City or whatever, you are left with vacancies in May that there are not a lot of options to get filled."
Kraus is proud of the partnership USD 308 has put together with Sterling College where they have students shadow teachers and then student teach in the same building in an effort to make it a good fit for them once they finish school.