SALEM, Va. – Local school systems all around the Commonwealth are recruiting teachers. On Saturday, a job fair for Western Virginia kicks off in Salem.
Roanoke County Public Schools is one of 20 public school districts that’s hiring for next school year at the Western Virginia Public Education Consortium.
Director of Human Resources Jim Bradshaw said they’re looking forward to meeting candidates.
“Job fairs like this really give us the opportunity to see again who’s out there, who’s looking to come to Roanoke County Public Schools,” Bradshaw said. “Just gives us that chance to have those conversations and see if we can get them to join our team.”
Bradshaw said like many others, the school system has dealt with staff shortages following the pandemic.
“Everyone’s struggling with finding enough teachers to fill our positions,” Bradshaw said. “We’re very fortunate still in Roanoke County schools that we feel like we are able to fill our positions with quality people, but it is becoming harder and harder every year.”
Bradshaw said on average they need about 60 to 75 teachers per year. As they ramp up recruitment for the coming school year, they’re hoping to find the perfect fit.
“We all know without quality teachers, it makes it really difficult to provide quality education instruction to our students, “ Bradshaw said. “We value this opportunity to hopefully get great candidates that will fill our positions and allow us to continue the excellence that we have in Roanoke County Public Schools.”
The free event kicks off on Saturday at the Salem Civic Center from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Registration is closed, according to the website.