ERLANGER, Ky. — A northern Kentucky school district is making a push to fill vacant positions. District officials say they have more openings than normal at this point in the summer.
Olivia Jones walked into the Ignite Institute, where Boone County Schools was holding a career fair, with wide eyes and her resume at the ready. She was eager to make impressions on school administrators who were eager to hire people like her.
“I really got to talk with them one-on-one and see what their school needs. And see if I can fit their needs,” Jones said.
Jones substitute taught for the district for three years before teaching her own classroom full time for the first time last school year with Covington Independent Schools.
Many school districts are having hiring events like these to address labor shortages created by teachers retiring or deciding to leave the profession in recent years.
Jones has seen what drives teachers out of classrooms up close.
“The school systems, they are losing that ability to bring those teachers back, because of the challenges we face every day that we don’t talk about,” she said. “It’s grueling some days. Sometimes you do have to make that choice for your family.”
However, Jones has also seen what brings teachers into classrooms to begin with. She said she wouldn’t have come to the career fair if she wasn’t confident in her ability to overcome those challenges, and excited to do just that.
“Seeing those kids every single day brings me back to school, and just seeing the joy that they have walking into my classroom every day, just those little stories that they tell me, those are what I cherish the most,” she said.
It’s also in her blood.
“I have aunts, uncles, grandmothers that taught, so it’s really in my core belief that once you’re in it, you’re in it for the long run, so it takes a very special person to do those 30-plus years in this profession,” Jones said.
Boone County Schools Human Resources Director Eric Ball said, as of July 14, when the career fair was held, there haven’t been quite enough people like Jones applying for jobs.
“We have a lot of positions open. And that’s not something typical that we see in our district. And honestly, I know a lot of businesses are struggling with that. We are a little bit higher from a vacancy point of view than we are in a typical year. By no means are we at a level where we have a great level of concern,” Ball said. “I have to be honest with you, we’ve already offered a position to one of the candidates that’s come into our career fair, so I would say we’re off to a pretty solid start.”
That doesn’t mean anyone who came in looking for a job will find one. Ball said the district is focused on finding the right people with the passion these jobs require to try to create less turnover.
“Sure there have been times where education has its challenges, but having an opportunity to talk to the people that are in those schools every day, our teachers, our principals, our counselors, that are here today, will show you exactly the enthusiasm they have working with our students, and the impact they make each and every day in those positions,” he said.
Jones said she certainly hopes to be one of those people, whether that’s with Boone County Schools or another district.
“We’re not in it for the money, we’re in it for the kids,” she said. “I do want to stick this out, and see what the next 30 years of my life, where I’m going to be.”
That’s good news for a state and a country that needs teachers.
Besides teachers, the district is hiring para-educators, maintenance workers and bus drivers.