Life after graduation is often a daunting next step, but students at the Cooper Alumni Center got a glimpse of their future at the education career fair last week.

Arkansas State University hosts many career fairs throughout the year, giving students regular opportunities to meet possible employers. The education career fair, held Thursday, March 5, gave school districts and even camps the chance to connect with students who are finishing their degrees and give them a head start on entering the workforce.

Elizabeth White, assistant director for career development and student engagement at A-State, said these fairs have become essential due to the vast number of students graduating from teaching programs each year.

“Today we have about 27 districts or educational institutions that are hiring, whether it is teachers or trying to figure out if they need student nurses within their districts or even a school psychologist,” White said.

White said plenty of students attended throughout the day, and some seniors even returned to campus from student teaching placements just to attend.

“They may already have an idea of a contract they’re signing, but we still want them to meet other districts and network for their future,” White said.

Throughout the Cooper Alumni Center, representatives from school districts spoke with students interested in new positions. The fair provides an opportunity for the participating districts to recruit new educators.

Wes Hooper, communications director for Cross County School District in Cherry Valley, Arkansas, said the event is great for networking.

“It gives us the opportunity to put our information out to students who are looking for jobs,” Hooper said.

The Cross County School District serves several communities and works differently from many other schools in the region.

“A typical school around here would use the TESS system for supporting teachers,” Hooper said. “We use something completely different called TAP, and we’re also one of the very few schools in the state to offer performance-based pay for teachers.”

The Teaching Excellence and Support System (TESS) is the standard evaluation system used in most Arkansas schools, where administrators observe classrooms and review evidence of teaching to provide feedback. The Teacher and Student Advancement (TAP) system works differently, focusing on ongoing coaching and performance bonuses to reward strong instruction and improve students’ educational development.

By attending the fair, Hooper said Cross County hopes to show future teachers opportunities to work in schools that take different approaches to supporting their staff. 

On the other hand, some districts came with a more direct message.

The Marion School District serves about 4,300 students across six schools, including several magnet programs that focus on areas like math, science and the arts.

Latoya Beale, director of student services for the Marion School District, said the district attended the fair because they are actively looking for qualified teachers.

“We came to the fair today because we need teachers. We need teachers who have been trained in education programs,” Beale said.

Many of the booths gave focus to full-time teaching roles, though some organizations offered seasonal positions that still helped to connect students with a younger audience. 

One of these organizations was Eagle Sky Christian Challenge Camps, which runs summer and year-round retreats for groups across the region. 

Meagen Wilson, associate program director for Eagle Sky in Piedmont, Missouri, said they were mainly looking for students interested in a short-term summer leadership position.

“We’re primarily looking for seasonal roles,” Wilson said. “One is our counselor position, which is a three-week commitment in July.”

Another role Eagle Sky promoted was a resident director position, which Wilson said is similar to a resident assistant role on a college campus.

“The role is really about helping our younger staff learn what it’s like to live on their own in a community with other people,” Wilson said.

For students walking through the fair, conversations like these offered a small look into what life after graduation could hold.

Categories: News