This year, across the district, Triton Schools have hired about 40 new staff total. Although there were no new positions added to the high school, Superintendent Brian Forget said that there were about a dozen retirements across the district and others resigned last year for various other reasons.

The process can often seem stressful, so many teachers, so many papers, and so much to look over before letting a stranger around students you are responsible for.

“We run a formal training/mentor program for all new hires. This program allows a one-on-one mentor to work closely with the new teacher to make sure he or she ‘knows the ropes’ in regards to the school,” said Forget.

Forget additionally said that the new teachers will work closely with the members that are in their department to “ensure the content that needs to be taught is covered.”

Senior Sarah Norton is blown away by the number of new staff the district has hired.

Norton is blown away by the number of new teachers throughout the district. “That’s a lot, I don’t remember ever having that many new people around here.”

However, Forget said that every year we hire anywhere from 15 to 40 staff across the district. Therefore this year is not much different than the past years.

“That includes teachers, Instructional Assistants, etc. It is always a mixture of retirements and resignations for various other reasons. This year was the same….we had about a dozen retirements across the district,” Forget said.

Forget was asked what the process is of hiring new people. Who is in charge? What do they have to do? Is the process as long and hard as it seems? How can you tell if they are fit for our district?

“The answer is that ‘it takes a village,’” Forget said. “The hiring is overseen by the principal in each building, and generally involves other teachers and staff on an interview panel to start.”

Forget also added that it usually includes faculty and staff who are working in the same area as the new hire. That way they are able to speak to the specific skills that are needed for that position.

“That is the same process used around the district. Once the principal decides on a candidate, he/she makes a formal recommendation to me and then we formalize the official hiring process, including completing all paperwork, performing background checks, and officially finalizing the hire,” Forget said.

Forget also added that there are a few different people in the district office that are involved, including the School Business Administrator, HR/Payroll Coordinator, and him, the superintendent, and his assistant.

Senior Marisa Soffron is taking the anatomy class with new teacher, Dr. Ellen Moore. She is learning a lot in the subject, taught by Triton High School’s four new teachers.

“She’s really nice and I think she is really good for the district.” said Soffron. “She seems to know what she is talking about and it makes me enjoy the subject more.”