by Donald Eng and Kate Santini
MILFORD, CT—With an estimated 1,000 teaching positions vacant, the Connecticut Education Association will hold its annual job fair for aspiring, recertified and displaced educators Saturday in Milford. Attendees will have the opportunity to meet, interact and make connections with potential employers from school districts across the state, according to CEA.
“The job fair allows us to have face-to-face meetings and find the right talent,” said Hamden Superintendent Gary Highsmith, who said the annual fair has resulted in several hires in the district.
This year’s job fair will take place at Jonathan Law High School in Milford June 6. Early entry for CEA aspiring educators and CEA members begins at 10 a.m., and for all jobseekers at 11 a.m. The fair closes at 12:30 p.m.
“Last year, we had districts making job offers on the spot, and several CEA aspiring educators landed their first teaching jobs,” said CEA Vice President Joslyn DeLancey. “CEA is doing all it can to help address the ongoing teacher shortage, but more must be done, including compensating aspiring teachers for student teaching.”
The Educator Vacancy Dashboard reveals a high number of vacancies in special education, paraeducation and special services, but vacancies exist across the board, said CEA president Kate Dias. She also said the shortage is felt in high-level STEM subjects such as physics and mathematics, along with family consumer sciences and technical education.
“A job fair gives you the opportunity to see a broad scope of people and they have the opportunity to take resumes from everyone,” said Dias. Even if job openings are not available on the spot, leaving a resume could open up future opportunities.
While data remains limited, a 2020-21 report revealed that class sizes in Connecticut public schools average about 18 students per classroom, which sits slightly lower than the national average of 19-21 students per classroom.
Dias said the state’s 1,000-educator shortage is partially due to an aging population and an insufficient number of young people entering into the job market. The education system is currently unbalanced because, while widespread municipal budget cuts are taking away jobs, others remain vacant, she said. Those budget cuts then lead to an uptick in jobseekers, she said.
“Job fairs, to me, are investments,” said Dias. “It’s about getting in front of as many employers as possible to have the opportunity to sell themselves and share what their experiences are.”