Sixty school districts filled Esports Stadium in Arlington on Monday to fill open jobs. The North Central Texas Association of School Personnel Administrators set up the job fair to connect districts with applicants.
"It's almost like the principals are trying to convince me to come to their campus now, and it wasn't like that before," a former teacher who was considering rejoining the workforce said.
"It's a little scary, actually, because we need to fill these positions and our kids need us," a current teacher's aide said.
She said she was thinking of becoming an elementary school teacher.
"I could just help kids grow and thrive and be who they are," she said.
For those who did not have a degree in education, organizers set up an area where they could learn about alternative certification options.
"If they don't have a degree in education, we want them to connect with alternative certification so they can identify some areas where they want to teach and then they will help them with the process of obtaining that certification," Lovejoy ISD Human Resources Director Marcy Hambrick said.
Districts attended from as far away as Austin. The district's Kayren Gray said Austin ISD and many others were recruiting across Texas and in neighboring states.
"There's been a shortage all across the state, so we are really branching out to different locations to see the candidates and engage with them," she said. "We have a high-need population for bilingual, so we have stipends for bilingual teachers, special education, and those high-need areas. Like all districts, we're looking for the same candidates to serve our students."
Gray said districts were struggling with an increase in teacher retirements during the pandemic.
"We try to let people know about the opportunities in Austin ISD because we have a great culture, creating a sense of belonging and high expectations for all learners," she said.
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