ATLANTA — Atlanta Public Schools is seeking qualified individuals to teach virtual classes for the upcoming semester, which begins January 2022.
Friday, October 22 is the deadline for parents to apply if they’d like their child to attend Atlanta Virtual Academy.
“I love working with students, I love seeing them grow, I love when that light bulb comes on,” said Lisa Moore, a 5th grade teacher with Atlanta Virtual Academy.
Moore has been with APS for four years, with two years of teaching at the Virtual Academy.
“It's about constantly making sure that every lesson and everything you do virtually has to be more engaging,” she said.
At last check, district officials said 1,686 families expressed interest in attending Atlanta Virtual Academy next semester.
“With this being a mid-year increase because the enrollment was reopened for the Atlanta Virtual Academy, it makes (teacher) recruitment a little more challenging for us,” said Skye Duckett, Chief Human Resources Officer for Atlanta Public Schools.
Duckett said the district needs teachers who are willing to relocate or already live in Atlanta. They are also seeking educators for core subject areas.
“Math, science, special education and foreign languages are key for us and some of the hardest to fill areas,” she said.
And with the school year already underway, the district has incentives in place to attract teachers.
Atlanta Public Schools is offering a base salary of $49,048 to $96,830 per year, a $3,000 hiring incentive for Atlanta Virtual Academy, relocation and housing allowances for out-of-state candidates, and a 20% employer retirement contribution.
“We have dedicated teachers who are committed,” said Aleigha Henderson-Rosser, Director of Instructional Technology for Atlanta Public Schools. “You can hear them throughout the hallway teaching, engaging, laughing - so anyone who wants to apply, you need to have great communication skills.”
Henderson-Rosser said Atlanta Virtual Academy has been around since 2012 and has only continued to grow through the pandemic.
“We were already prepared, we had a great system in place so it was an easy transition,” she said. “But when the pandemic hit, we needed more staff, more personnel, more computers and more licenses.”
District leaders said Atlanta Virtual Academy has grown so much, it will move to a new location and building in the Fall of 2022.
Whether or not your child gets accepted into the Virtual Academy depends on teacher availability.
The district intends to hold a lottery in two weeks to determine which students will be admitted. Students who aren’t chosen will be placed on a waiting list.