Despite the tough economy, Georgia's child welfare agency has been looking to fill 150 teachers to boost educational performance of about 3,000 foster children who lag behind in school. The tutoring program, which is funded through a $7.5-million grant of federal stimulus money, aims to craft an individualized program to help foster children reach grade-level performance, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution has reported. Mark Washington, the head of the state Division of Family and Children Services, told the news provider that the program is being tested in the Savannah area and will soon expand in metro Atlanta, Fulton, DeKalb, Cherokee, Cobb and Gwinnett counties. Washington said certified teachers who have been laid off or furloughed due to school cutbacks will be their top priority. They will be hired on a contractual basis and paid between $35 to $45 an hour. "We need teachers. The more we can do to help them with their education, the better they can succeed in life," Washington said, adding that the agency will explore other funding sources once the stimulus money runs out. While Georgia is looking to hire temporary teachers, prospects for the education profession remains bright at the national level. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that public school teachers accounted for 3.5 million jobs in 2008, adding that job prospects are best in high-demand fields, such as mathematics, science and bilingual education.  |