Bulloch County Schools welcomed nearly 300 new employees last week for its "New Hire Orientation."

With an Old West theme, the new hires were given information needed to begin the 2024–25 school year, which officially gets underway for teachers Tuesday — the first day of pre-planning. 

Board of Education Chairman Elizabeth Williams and Superintendent of Schools Charles Wilson welcomed the new hires to the day-long training held at Statesboro High School, according to a release from Hayley Greene, public relations director for the school district.

The remainder of the day featured sessions about the work of the Bulloch County Foundation of Public Education, school safety, mandated reporter training, the code of conduct for employees, workman's compensation, and payroll and benefits. 

A tradeshow with 20 state and local vendors was organized for the new hires to learn more about services they may need in the community, including local banks and credit unions, medical and pharmacy services, financial and retirement planning, the Statesboro Family YMCA, professional education associations and more. 

New Teacher Boot Camp

Classroom teachers make up 84 of the new hires for the 2024-25 school year that begins Aug. 1, with 60 of that group being first-time educators. Prior to the New Hire Orientation, the group of 60 met for a two-day boot camp at Mattie Lively Elementary School. 

The group will continue to meet either monthly or quarterly throughout the school year, depending upon their experience, to receive mentoring and professional development. 

The boot camp cohort is made up of educators who are either induction teachers with a degree in education who have completed student teaching, or provisional teachers who are either degreed professionals from other fields who have become certified to teach, or former paraprofessionals who have completed the Georgia's Teacher Academy for Preparation and Pedagogy program. 

The boot camp was led by teacher leaders Alison Hardin, a fifth-grade teacher at Brooklet Elementary School; Allison Dampier, a sixth-grade teacher at William James Middle School; Ashley Thompson, a career pathways teacher at Portal Middle High; and Millie Boykin, a school improvement director for the district.

The new teachers learned about setting classroom expectations, building a positive climate for their students, classroom management, effective communication, discipline, and establishing a healthy work-life balance for themselves, Greene said in the release. Also, they received supplies and learning tools to help equip their classrooms.

  Greene said school district directors and school administrators, 10 of whom are new to the school district, met for two days, July 11–12, for Camp Bulloch at the William James Educational Complex. Other groups, such as bus drivers and bookkeepers, also met to get set for the new year. 

The school district is Bulloch County's largest employer with more than 2,400 full-time, part-time, seasonal, contracted service, and substitute employees.