School districts across North Texas have planned hiring events to fill current job vacancies over the next few months. The hiring season will include several job fairs and campaigns, according to NBC. In addition, some districts are implementing hiring bonuses to attract new educators.
Grand Prairie ISD hosted its first job fair on March 26 at South Grand Prairie High School. Director of Human Capital, MeShelley White, told NBC this year’s hiring season will last for months.
“This is prime-time hiring season, and it will continue into the summer months and the early part of the fall. We are looking for passionate individuals who want to work with children and who want to make an impact,” White said.
Grand Prairie is seeking to fill vacancies for bus drivers, food service workers, substitutes, and certified teachers.
Fort Worth ISD will host a “Mega Job Fair” on April 9. The district is also providing hiring bonuses for educators in certain fields, according to spokeswoman Claudia Garibay.
“The district continues to have a high demand for teachers in bilingual education, math, science, and special education teaching spots,” Garibay told NBC. “The Fort Worth ISD is offering hiring bonuses starting at $2,000 for any teacher hires prior to May 1, 2022.”
The district is also offering hiring bonuses of $5,000 for bilingual teachers and $3,000 for special education, secondary math, English language arts, and science teachers.
Dallas ISD held a recent hiring event in hopes of filling the 500 open vacancies in the district. The district is 97% staffed but still looking to fill those vacancies before the start of the next school year.
Steven Jackson, the Dallas ISD Director of Recruitment, told NBC they have seen several good educators coming in despite the nationwide shortage that has impacted many North Texas districts.
“I know that there is a nationwide shortage, but we see that we have a lot of quality individuals,” Jackson said. “There are a lot of minorities, which I love, that are coming in and trying to be teachers and change that narrative of what it means to be a teacher.”
Several North Texas districts are looking to hire superintendents, while others have recently filled those vacancies. Since November, ten superintendents from ten districts have announced their resignations.
Hurst-Euless-Bedford ISD recently named Joseph Harrington as the finalist for its superintendent search to replace Steve Chapman. In a district press release from March, the School board president Matt Romero called Harrington a good fit for the position.
Romero said, “Joe understands that empowering every student to excel while maintaining our responsibilities to the local community requires strategic planning and clear communication.”
The Lewisville ISD Board of Trustees voted on January 25 to name Lori Rapp as the finalist in their superintendent search, according to WFAA.
Northwest ISD, Richardson ISD, DeSoto ISD, and Fort Worth ISD are still conducting superintendent searches. Dallas ISD is conducting a nationwide search, according to WFAA, but has yet to find the right candidate.
North Texas school districts will be continuing their hiring season into the summer and fall, with several job fairs and hiring campaigns to attract educators and support staff.