Alexandria Galtney
Managing Editor
Educators from more than 60 school districts from all over the country gathered on the third floor of the Student Center Ballroom at Jackson State University to recruit future educators at this years Spring Teacher Recruitment Day.
Spring Teacher Recruitment Day was sponsored by the Jackson State University Career Services Center and was open to any major.
Teacher recruitment day is designed to allow schools systems across the nation to interview perspective teacher education graduates for job openings in their respective schools.
JSU students came dressed for success looking for jobs in the education profession hoping to gain insight and employment at the end of the days event.
Some alumni who are currently teachers in some of the school districts, came back to recruit other future teachers and spoke highly of the fair and its level of professionalism.
“We had 71 participating schools at this year’s Teacher Recruitment Day who were actively recruiting our students for full-time teaching opportunities. Many do not know that not only Mississippi, but the nation is facing a teacher shortage and this event allows schools to recruit from our best and brightest students. Students benefit in that they don’t have to visit all these school districts because they come to us,” said Alisa Hughes, CSC Coordinator.
Leslie Lewis, director of Human Resources with Gwinnett County Public Schools and a 1993 JSU graduate with a degree in early childhood education came back to recruit at her alma mater.
“It’s had a tremendous impact on me, first and foremost it mean so much to be able to come back to my alma mater to recruit future teachers. To me it’s an opportunity to give back to my university by recruiting the best and brightest teacher candidates, and I’ve seen some outstanding candidates today. This event was well organized, career services was very welcoming, met some top notch candidates, they candidates were very well prepared and well dressed,” said Lewis.
The event included districts from within the state such as the Biloxi Public School District, Vicksburg-Warren School District, Jackson Public School District, and the North Pike School District, and districts from out of state including Little Rock School District and Gwinnett County Public Schools in Georgia.
Marcus Cook, a senior special education major from Prichard, Ala. said, “This has been very rewarding, a lot of potential job employers are here, it is very relaxing and very welcoming, eager to have people in the classroom.”
Recruiters were interested in individuals who were ready to educate and mold the minds of young students.
“We are looking for teachers, as you know there will always be a need for educators and Jackson State has an amazing program, so we are so happy to be here to do some recruiting. My personal school is a K-5 school and the partner that I am here with is a middle school. We are looking for teachers from pre-K all the way up to fourth grade. We have even interviewed a music major, we are accepting everyone and looking for the best of the best in our schools,” said Crystal Allen Taylor of East Baton Rouge Parish School in Baton Rouge, La.
