BY KEVIN SHALVEY

Of the 42 teachers hired to date for Bedford High School, only two will be first-year teachers.

“We actually purposely shied away from brand-new teachers and looked for some teachers with a little more experience,” said Principal George Edwards.

The teachers have an average of about eight years experience in the classroom.

“So they’re not learning both to be a brand-new teacher and learning to be in a brand-new school,” said Edwards.

There’s also the fact that teachers earlier in their career can be more difficult to retain.

“It’s something that I think all districts look at and because of that it’s something that we’re definitely taking a look at. They say that the first two to five years are the most critical in a teacher’s development,” Edwards said.

All together, the district plans to hire 47 teachers for the 2007-08 school year. The district received more than 1,000 applications for the positions.

There aren’t exact numbers for the two years after that, but more teachers will be hired until the student high school population reaches four grades. The total could be about 90 teachers. When the high school opens on Aug. 31, it will contain freshmen and sophomores. In 2009, all grades, 9 through 12, will attend the school.

“We’re anticipating somewhere between 20 and 25 next year and about the same the next year, when there are juniors and seniors,” said Edwards.

The teachers hired so far -- with about five to go -- are from all over the United States – from Washington to New Jersey to Rhode Island and North and South Carolina.

“And we’ve hit predominantly New Hampshire and the New England states,” he said.

Out-of-state teachers will be recertified in New Hampshire, if necessary for their fields, he said.

Edwards said all the teachers for the 2007-08 school year should be hired within a few weeks.

They first have to go through an extensive interview process, which includes three interviews and the approval by the Bedford School Board. The teachers will all attend a “Bulldog Camp” from July 31 to Aug.
16, which will get them oriented in the school and with each other, Edwards said.

The members of the Planning Team will have positions in the school, too.

Lisa Ransom will be dean of students; Linda Belmonte will be dean of math, science and technology; Bob Jozokos will be assistant principal; and Thor Nilsen will be athletic administrator.