Teacher search: Students scope out their futures at annual education fair
By ROB CHANEY of the Missoulian
Watch a video from the Multi-state Educator's Career Fair
Numbers were down, but business was brisk at the 23rd annual Multi-state Educator's Career Fair Monday.
“I'm a little surprised at the light traffic this morning,” Missoula County Public Schools Superintendent Jim Clark said while scanning the booths in the Hilton Garden Inn. Somewhere in the flow of students and recruiters, Clark hoped to find five special-education teachers who wanted to come to Missoula.
He was competing with pitches from Mississippi and Saipan, districts with 3,500 openings and rural schools desperate to fill out lean staffs. The University of Montana-sponsored fair drew 116 recruiters this spring, down from last year's 140. Candidate numbers were also down - 300 compared to last year's 350.
Carroll College graduating senior Meghan McMahon, right: interviews with Dave Means, director of special services for the Whitefish School District on Monday morning during the Educator's Career Fair at the Hilton Garden Inn in Missoula. Photo by KURT WILSON/Missoulian
“That seems to be a national trend right now,” said UM Career Services director Mike Henring. “It's kind of cyclical. Accounting, health care and business fairs are getting strong turnouts. They all tend to be on different wavelengths.”
This year, Montana schools got a jump on the local talent with a reception Sunday evening. Montana Rural Schools Association President Dave Puyear said the get-together helped the state's smaller school districts make their case to UM teaching students.
“Our feeling was the fair has kind of turned into a national event,” Puyear said. “About six years ago, we really started to feel it, and we've been looking for ways to boost Montana. We still have a handful of districts that are short and may have to go for emergency credentials. They have to have a warm body in front of the room.”
On the other side of the table, UM soon-to-be graduates Leslie Reese and Therese Bell were pleased with the opportunities.
“They have a good variety of people and states here,” Reese said. “I like that they come to us.”
Reese was casting a wide net, while Bell said she hoped to find a teaching job close to Missoula. As first-time hires, they were searching for districts with strong mentoring programs and, preferably, relocation fee reimbursement. They figured about one recruiter in three was looking to land a contract Monday.
The pressure to make career fairs pay off is felt on both sides of the table, said education consultant Chick Beckley. A former Alaska school administrator and part-time Missoula resident, Beckley was helping out colleagues from the Bering Strait School District.
“There's a lot of openings and a lot of teachers still around, but you're not seeing the meat market like you used to,” Beckley said. “They're searching for job placements online, and people are doing their recruiting online.”
And the hunt has become a year-round process, Beckley said. Many school administrators are contacting prospective hires early in their senior year and getting research done early. With the cost of getting a recruiter from Alaska to Montana running between $3,000 and $4,000 for airfare, hotels and other expenses, Beckley said there's pressure to make the trip count.
“If you get two people and come out to a fair like this, and get just one hire, your district is spending $8,000 for one person,” he said. “A lot of these people want to establish their relationships while they're still in school.”
Alton Autrey came from Grants, N.M., in search of five or 10 elementary teachers. Montana is one of his district's regular recruiting areas, along with Oklahoma and Texas.
“We like coming back here and talking with people who talked with us last year,” Autrey said. “The candidates we've got from here have been good candidates. All we can do is sell the location and make that personal touch.”
Reporter Rob Chaney can be reached at 523-5382 or at rchaney@missoulian.com.
