Mrs. Kara Trettel had been working at Freedom for just over a year. On Dec. 22, she left to go work in Slippery Rock Area School District so she could be closer to her family. The school is still looking for a new Computer Apps teacher, but haven’t found anyone perfect for the job yet. 

You might be wondering, what would happen if we didn’t find a teacher? Would we have computer apps anymore? How is this affecting the school? After getting the chance to talk to our principal and a fellow middle school student, here are some things we do know about it. 

“One of the biggest problems about not having a Computer Apps teacher is that the students aren’t getting that information from the expert. Another issue is that the substitute teachers that we have that come here on a daily basis, instead of utilizing them elsewhere they are always in that position,” Dr. Ryan Smith, principal, said. “In terms of finishing the year, we continue to find different ways to find the individual that will teach the class, but we have been pretty successful with finding substitutes for the job. As far as not being able to find someone for the long term, at that point we would have to look at restructuring what that class is or what the focus of the class is.” 

“It is a bit harder not having one specific Computer Apps teacher because I feel like there isn’t much instruction now,” Julia Bair, seventh grader, says. “I still enjoy Computer Apps, in my opinion the class is very fun, but I miss having Mrs. Trettel as a teacher. I hope the school can keep Comp. Apps. It’s a better idea than getting rid of the class because it teaches important life skills. I really hope our new teacher is nice, helpful to students, and good overall at teaching Computer Apps.”
“Our first criteria is finding the appropriate certifications for the position. Unfortunately, not many people have them, which is why it is a great challenge to fill the position for Comp. Apps,” Dr. Smith stated. The school is actively looking to fullfill the position of Computer Apps teacher. It is very difficult to know what Computer Apps will look like from now on, but we are hoping we can get the perfect person to fill the position of Computer Apps teacher.