The Alachua County School Board voted 4-0 on Aug. 4 to approve a five-year contract with staffing firm Unlimited Instruction (UI) to recruit and support new teachers. District officials hope the firm will help to address the district’s teacher shortage.
Board member Leanetta McNealy did not attend the meeting.
Under the agreement, UI will recruit candidates who hold bachelor’s degrees and are eligible for temporary teaching certificates from within 45 miles of district schools. The district will pay IU $67.57 per hour for each recruited instructor, based on a 7.5-hour workday, and only for hours actually worked. UI will cover the recruits’ benefits, background screening, fingerprinting, drug testing and certification costs, and requires teachers to complete certification within one year…