BY OLIVIA FARMER
Staff Writer

New gifted coordinator Jared Hoffman also has a second job in construction, but he doesn’t plan on doing much remodeling of the gifted program run for seven years by teacher Debbie Reynolds.
Hoffman has taken over as the sole teacher involved with the program, whereas Reynolds recently had the help of history teacher Brad Schulte, who aided her with half of his work day.
“I’m learning a lot about the program,” Hoffman said.
Due to budget cuts Hoffman will be taking on the gifted program by himself, but Reynolds has been helping him along the way from Harrison Middle School, where she has changed roles and is now a seventh grade science teacher.
“I have a strong working relationship with Mrs. Reynolds,” Hoffman said.
After being an elementary gifted teacher at Paynter for the last four years, Hoffman will be taking on a new project, and will be overseeing a high school gifted program that includes 120 students and plans activities open to all students.
One difference between his elementary gifted position and his new job is that he previously interacted with students on a daily basis, and now he mainly works with students before and after school doing acitivies for the gufted program.
“The transition was very different because I don’t interact with students as much during the day,” Hoffman said.
Being in charge of more than 55 academic competitions will be a new challenge for Hoffman this year as it sharply contrasts his roles in previous years.
“It is a lot of coordinating and being an agent for students,” Hoffman said.
Hoffman plans on following a similar format to Reynolds, and is looking to add underwater robotics, as well as other STEM competitions.
His first high school competition was the Hometown High Q on Sept. 19.
Seniors Chris Karpuska, Mark Kelley and Terrence Ahlin competed against North Allegheny and Fraiser, and placed second, so they will not be advancing to the finals.
“He was a good coach for the Hometown High Q, and he puts in a lot of time and is willing to come early and stay late,” Kelley said.
The two alternates on the Hometown High Q team were sophomore Chad Kelley and senior James Stumpf.
“He took the position pretty well, and Mrs. Reynolds still helps in the background,” Chad Kelley said.
Even though being a gifted teacher is a full-time job, Hoffman also spends his evenings and weekends at his second job, running his own construction company.
Hoffman started his general remodeling company eight years ago when he was looking to make more money in college, and while he is at his day job, he has employees working for him during the day.
He will be using those managing skills to oversee the gifted program this year.