Good things are happening in Sheridan.
There will be many new faces at Sheridan Community Schools (SCS) when doors open for classes. There are 18 new teachers this year, representing over 20 percent of the teaching staff, higher than the last three years combined. SCS saw a large number of teachers who retired after teaching many years. Exit interviews with departing teachers showed many reasons for their departure; several had hung on for retirement in order to get their students through the pandemic.
Based on the large number of quality applicants and the comments from those hired, teachers recognize what Sheridan has to offer its students with smaller class sizes and the commitment of a caring culture. One teacher is returning to Sheridan after spending nine years at another district, waiting for an opportunity to return. One new teacher commented, “All I have received is good news since I accepted this position.”
Chef Robin Popejoy (who actually serves as the school corporation’s Director of Finance) was on hand to make sure the new teachers were well-fed. (Photo provided by Sheridan Community Schools)
“We are excited to welcome this group of outstanding educators to our caring staff,” Superintendent Dave Mundy said. “At Sheridan we understand that people make a difference! To be a great place for students, we also need to be a great place for our staff.”
The two day-long trainings were held this summer to acclimate new teachers. The day was focused on getting the new teachers familiarized with the outstanding culture and climate of Sheridan Community Schools. They were also able to get their email accounts, access to their classrooms, and other vital information to start their school year off on a positive note. The day included lunch prepared by the central office staff. Because of the many new teachers, two separate days were held to allow for personalized attention for each new teacher.
Teachers joining the SCS team are at various levels in their careers. Many are leaving other districts to join Sheridan, as well as a nice mix of teachers new to the profession.
“While there is definitely a shortage of applicants across the state and the overall pool of potential teachers is getting smaller, we were exceptionally happy with the number of individuals who wanted to join the Sheridan team,” Mundy said. “We had a lot of quality individuals to interview and our admin team in collaboration with our teachers did a terrific job of selecting this outstanding group of new Blackhawks.”