Some Area Schools See Increase in Freshman Teacher Hires

LONGVIEW � East Texas appears to be bucking a statewide trend that sees schools hiring fewer first-time teachers than ever. KETK reports the Pine Tree, Longview, Gilmer, and Kilgore Independent School Districts are among a list of 18 East Texas schools that have seen an increase in the hiring of “freshman,” or first-time, teachers since 2009. Pine Tree Human Resources Director Suzanne Shackelford says while the number of first-time teachers Pine Tree hires is on the rise, her district looks for the best teaching candidates of all ages. She does note that the freshman teachers are graduating with an important knowledge of technical skills, something that veteran teachers may not have.