SAVANNAH, GA (WSAV) – Savannah-Chatham schools are feeling the hurt of a growing problem nationwide.As more students flow into Savannah-Chatham classrooms, fewer teachers are around to meet their needs

Across the United States, there is a huge drop in the number of students pursuing education degrees.

So right now, Savannah-Chatham schools are holding up the help wanted sign-with 450 openings. To make sure they get those positions filled, the district is using a new program called Alternative Pathways to Teaching.

The program allows anyone with a Bachelor’s degree in any field to become a teacher in Georgia through a work-as-you-go certification program that takes one to three years to complete.

“We want to bring in those people who have a lot of field knowledge and a lot of skills,” SCCPSS Human Resources Heather Bilton said.

Those hiring see advantages to second-career teachers-they bring a variety of experiences that can help shape students for the real world. But this group is also filling a dire need for a district that’s growing at a rate of one school a year as colleges around the nation deal with a 50% drop in students who want to be teachers.

“We’re always concerned but that concern has hopefully motivated us to really work hard,” Bilton said of the recruitment process.

Colleges blame the 2007 recession for changing students’ minds about entering the education field.

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