Ashland adds numerous teaching positions

May 20—Ashland Independent School's Board of Education approved the addition of 26 new teaching positions at the latest board meeting.

Five of the positions are for career and technical education at Paul G. Blazer High School and 21 are RTI teacher positions throughout the district.

The five technical teachers correspond with the programs the district is set to add with a new technical center. They are Industrial Maintenance, Welding, Plumbing, HVAC and Electricity.

The district is still working through the building process of creating a technical center on the Blazer campus. However, according to Superintendent Sean Howard, there is space at Blazer to begin the programs in the mean time.

Howard is hopeful the district will find quality candidates for all five technical educations positions for the 2022-23 school year. He said he wants at least two of the five positions filled for the coming year.

This is one step of many to follow to create a career and technical center to add opportunities and pathways for students.

RTI is Response to Intervention and the teachers will focus on remedial education. Howard said it is a part of the district's response to learning loss as a result of interrupted school years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The teachers will primarily focus on bringing students up to speed in math and reading.

The teachers are funded via ESSER. Principals gathered and shared their thoughts on the best path forward following the pandemic. The RTI teachers, paid via ESSER funding is the result of the principal's concerned, according to Howard.

(606) 326-2652 — eporter@dailyindependent.com