The Office of Retention and Recruitment builds and develops partnerships with local colleges and universities to recruit and retain highly qualified candidates for teaching and leadership positions.

This office manages the Gainesville City Schools Aspiring Teacher Program (ATP). The Aspiring Teachers Program is designed to achieve equity, excellence, and diversity in the new teacher pipeline and the teaching force. The ATP is created to train and retain certified teachers who are committed to teaching in high-needs schools in the Gainesville community where they live. It coordinates and aligns the work of the innovative partnership between local colleges and universities and GCSS. It addresses the high teacher turnover and cultural disconnect between GCSS students and teachers, with the ultimate goal of improving and sustaining school improvement and student achievement.

The Office of Retention and Recruitment also oversees student teacher placement and coordinates recruitment events to build and strengthen applicant pools in high needs areas; participates in collegiate and community career events, and information sessions to build relationships and communicate to students and prospective teachers about careers in GCSS.

The department also manages requests to conduct research in the district from current employees or external requests that correspond to district priorities.

Recruitment and Retention

The Recruitment, Retention, and Teacher and Leader Effectiveness Office is responsible for attracting, employing, and retaining highly effective teachers and support staff for Gainesville City Schools. The department is committed to providing a high quality and diverse applicant pools for all positions in the district through active recruitment, selection, assignment, and retention of teachers, leaders, support staff, temporary personnel, and student interns.

The department is responsible for the development and implementation of performance-based evaluation systems (TKES and LKES) for all employee groups. The goal of Teacher and Leader Effectiveness is to identify areas of strength and improvement and develop each employee to improve student learning.

The department directs the staff recruitment program, serves as the liaison between colleges and universities, and is responsible for student teacher placements, professional learning, and district job fairs. The department is also responsible for certification and licensure, accurate and timely submission of state data reporting, and the Title II-A grant. The department is organized to support school and district leaders and supervisors with key human resource needs.

For questions or assistance, please contact Chief Professional Services Officer, Priscilla Collins, at [email protected] or 770-536-5275 Ext. 5127.