Richmond County seniors sign to become future educators in Augusta

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – For years, filling teaching positions in the Richmond County School System has been a challenge.

Last spring, we told you they had around 300 teaching vacancies.

This year, they have more than 130 positions open from pre-K to high school.

The school system is putting its efforts into a program that brings kids back home to teach.

More than 20 students signed the dotted line on Tuesday to commit to doing just that.

Deciding what the future holds for the next four years of your life can be hard, but Jordan King says his future is a no-brainer.

“I signed up to be a teacher so I can teach other students they can be self-aware. They don’t have to go with those norms, the societal norms because they’re always changing,” said King.

King and his two best friends all share a common goal — to impact the future.

Kanye Gilmore said: “I want to make a difference because obviously, there’s not a lot of black young men wanting to be a teacher. So kids will see that and they’ll want to grow up and aspire to be a teacher.”

Quintin James said: “My teacher has inspired me, like just learning about what it takes to be a teacher. I kind of put myself in their shoes and said, ‘Hey, I can be a teacher.’”

Nanette Barnes is the director of career, technical and agricultural education. She says the trios drive couldn’t have come at a better time.

“There’s a teacher shortage. So we were trying to encourage our students to increase in those pathways to be pathway completers,” she said.

The trio joined more than 20 other Richmond County seniors committing to return back home after their college graduation.

It’s a commitment Barnes said the school will continue to keep tabs on.

“They’re going to see if they actually enrolled in college. They want to reach out to them at least two or three times during the school year, during their longevity in college, so that they can continue to remind them, that you have a place at home, got a job here, once they complete your college degree, can come back,” said Barnes.

And it’s a commitment Gilmore says he won’t ever give up on.

“I feel like I owe it to the community,” said Gilmore.

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