Brainerd School District Holds Job Fair To Help Fill Open Positions | Lakeland News

Duration: 2:39 496 transcript words EN summary

Video summary

The Brainerd Public Schools district recently hosted a job fair to attract new educators and staff as the upcoming school year approaches in less than two weeks. Although the HR team has successfully filled 214 positions since January 1st, administrators acknowledge there is still work to be done to secure the remaining vacancies before classes begin. The primary goal of this initiative is to spread awareness about open roles within the community and ensure that every student has access to a fully staffed environment where they can feel safe and supervised while learning. The district is actively seeking candidates for a wide range of positions, including special education teachers, educational assistants, ASL interpreters, custodians, cooks, substitute teachers, and more. They emphasize that their hiring process is inclusive and supportive, offering various pathways for individuals at different stages of their careers, whether they are experienced professionals, recent graduates, or those simply looking to make a difference. To assist new hires, the school offers mentorship programs and support systems designed to help staff navigate college education or career transitions, fostering an environment where everyone can grow together. A significant highlight for job seekers is the flexibility offered by many of these roles, particularly in special education and substitute teaching, which allow individuals to create schedules that work around their family needs. The district believes that having a complete staff is essential for providing a high-quality educational experience, noting that operating without full staffing creates challenges that can detract from instructional goals and student safety. Consequently, filling these last few positions is viewed not just as an administrative task but as a critical step toward ensuring the best possible learning outcomes for all children in the district. To further engage with the community and prospective employees, several schools including all elementary schools, the Lincoln Education Center, Forestview Middle School, and Brainerd High School will hold back-to-school open houses on September 2nd. These events provide an additional opportunity for families and potential staff to learn more about the district's mission and culture before the term officially starts. As a nonprofit news organization covering these developments, Lakeland News continues to report on how local efforts like this job fair are shaping the future of education in the Brainerd area.

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Well, individuals interested in working in education had a chance to explore career opportunities with Brainerd Public Schools at the school district's job fair recently. Our reporter Xavier Curry has more details. >> With the new school year gearing up and happening in less than 2 weeks, Brainerd Public Schools is trying to load up on educators in the district. >> Yeah, I mean it's really an opportunity for us to get the word out in the community about the vacancies that we have to start the school year. Our Our team's been working really hard uh in the buildings and at the HR, we've filled 214 positions since January 1st, but we still got that last mile. So, we're really trying to get the word out to get those last few positions filled. >> Whether you are an experienced educator, a recent graduate, or just someone interested in making a difference in the lives of students, Brainerd Public Schools offers a variety of ways to join the district's team. >> We would love to help people wherever they're at. We have a lot of different pathways to support staff as their journey goes on to getting a college education or getting a different career or helping them along the way. So, there's a lot of great mentor programs and we'd be really excited to have partner with them and have them just see what it's like. We're really excited that we can have people start and that we can grow together with them. >> The district is currently seeking candidates for a variety of positions including special education teachers, educational assistants, ASL interpreters, custodians, cooks, substitute teachers, and more. >> I mean, we've got tons of vacancies uh for our special ed areas. And then also our substitute teachers and substitute educational assistants. So, it's really a great opportunity where you can work a schedule that works for you and your family. You decide when to work, where to work, that sort of thing. So, it's a lot of flexibility. And it's really it's a neat opportunity to make a difference for kids. >> Brainerd Public Schools believes that having a full staff is the best way for kids to learn and experience a good educational system. >> Kids need to be supervised, they need to be safe before they can learn. So, that's like our primary objective always, and we always do that, but it's how we have to do that when we don't have all of our positions filled. That makes it challenging, and sometimes that takes away from the things we want to do for instruction and learning and things like that. >> Reporting in Brainerd, Xavier Curry, Lakeland News. >> On September 2nd, all elementary schools, the Lincoln Education Center, Forestview Middle School, and Brainerd High School have their back-to-school open houses. >> Lakeland News is a nonprofit news organization. Donate to Lakeland PBS today to support your local news team.