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Pr. George’s schools launch ad campaign to lure new teachers
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Prince George’s County (Map, News) - Prince George’s County Public Schools recently launched what might be an unprecedented advertising campaign for the school system to fill the more than 1,000 teaching vacancies it has for the upcoming year.
Schools spokesman John White said this is the first time, at least in recent memory, that the school system has hired an advertising firm to help recruit teachers. The system is paying New York-based Bernard Hodes Group $300,000 for the electronic and print campaign targeting local and national audiences.
“The State of Maryland only graduates approximately 2,500 teachers per year from its education programs,” White said. “And, obviously, if Prince George’s County is hiring between 1,200 and 1,300 and there are 24 other jurisdictions in the state, there aren’t enough teachers to go around.”
White said Prince George’s typically uses recruiting tactics such as sponsoring career fairs, sending representatives to colleges and universities and running classified ads. White said the system will still use those methods but the campaign is an additional tool. According to White, Superintendent John Deasy is responsible for the campaign.
“He recognizes the fact that there are not enough highly qualified teachers to go around,” White said.
The campaign “America’s Classroom,” features Prince George’s students in a variety of print ads asking to be taught to be doctors, astronauts and chief executive officers among other things.
“What we tried to do with the campaign is to emphasize that Prince George’s County is representative of the most diverse population in America,” said John Swirchak, Bernard Hodes Group’s executive vice president. “And ‘America’s Classroom’ represents that melting pot.”
Swirchak said print ads are running in such states as Michigan, Ohio and Alabama. The starting salary for teachers in Prince George’s County is $43,481. White said there are 10,000 teachers in the school system.
dfowler@dcexaminer.com
