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 Just
days from the start of a new school year, aspiring science teacher Teri
Corrales was a picture of calm Thursday as she awaited job interviews at
Fresno State’s Summer Teacher Recruitment Fair.
“I’m being sought after by several of the districts here,” said
Corrales, a 23-year-old Fresno native and University of California,
Santa Barbara graduate. “Everything is an open possibility. Hopefully, I
get a job.”
She joined about 100 other teacher hopefuls, who gathered at the
Satellite Student Union to meet representatives from 13 Central Valley
school districts. Most of the districts are rural with below-average
student performance, two factors that can impede the hiring of qualified
candidates.
“School starts on Tuesday and we came here hoping to fill four spots,”
said Harlan Awbrey, a social sciences teacher at Tranquillity High
School, 35 miles southwest of Fresno. “If we find the right people
today, we’ll sign them to contracts.”
By late morning, Awbrey and Principal Brian Wall had met with three
prospects but had yet to make any hires for openings in English,
business/math, physical education and English language development.
The fair was funded by the California Department of Education and was
the first in four years at Fresno State. It was co-sponsored by the
Tulare County Office of Education.
Diana Dille, the university’s coordinator for education recruitment and
career services in the Kremen School of Education and Human Development,
said the event was necessary, in part, to fill openings created by
retiring baby boomers.
“The need is so crucial,” she said. “That has brought us together in
this effort. This summer we’ve worked really hard to build relationships
with the rural districts.”
The fair, she noted, is an efficient way of doing business. “The
candidates don’t know where the openings are and the districts don’t
know where the candidates who haven’t gotten jobs are,” she said. “This
connects the two together.”
Most of those attending the fair possessed – or are working toward –
multiple-subject credentials required to teach elementary school. But
there is an acute need for single-subject credentials, which are
required to teach high school in high-demand areas such as math,
science, English and special education, Dille said.
Corrales is working toward her single-subject credential and will have
to hire on as an intern. She said she is also considering working in Los
Angeles County.
Schools that can’t fill openings often must use long-term substitutes,
who aren’t required to hold credentials, Dille said.
Participating districts included the Avenal, Coalinga-Huron, Cutler-Orosi,
Fresno, Golden Plains, Gustine, Kerman, Los Banos, Madera, Mendota,
Parlier and Sanger unified school districts. La Sierra Military Academy
also was present.
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