BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. – With the first day of school just around the corner, Brevard Public Schools welcomed hundreds of new teachers to its annual New Teacher Academy, giving them an overview of the rules and regulations ahead of students returning to the classroom.
Superintendent Mark Rendell said the academy serves both brand-new educators and those who have relocated to the area.
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“These are all the teachers that are new to our district. They may be brand new to teaching, fresh out of the box. Or they may be teachers who’ve moved to Florida or Brevard County that have some teaching experience from out of state. We want to welcome them, give them kind of the lay down on how we do things in Brevard,” Rendell said.
This year, 270 new teachers attended the academy — down from previous years — but officials say that’s a good sign. The district had fewer vacancies to fill heading into the new school year.
“So, we had to hire fewer teachers. So, it’s awesome. We actually are set to open the year at 99% filled in our classroom teacher positions. We actually only have about 50 vacancies right now,” Rendell said.
The district is hoping to reach 100% staffing by the end of the year.
One new recruit is no stranger to the classroom. Pat Kelly is returning to Brevard Public Schools after having taught there in the past, bringing with him five decades of teaching experience.
“This is my 51st year,” Kelly said. “I taught here for two years, from 2019 to 2021.”
Kelly says he’s back because he believes in the work the district and its schools are doing.
“They have a very family-oriented team and I’m just looking forward to doing whatever I can do to help in the community, the classroom, on the athletic and basketball court as well. So, I’m really excited about coming back to Brevard,” Kelly said.
The first day of school in Brevard County is Aug. 10.