Education Career Fair Brings Students, School Leaders Together

Dionis Harvey of the Academy for Urban School Leadership in Chicago talks to a student.

A representative of Joplin schools speaks with a U of A student.

Larry Ben, superintendent of Decatur Public Schools, speaks with U of A students.

A U of A student signs in at the West Fork Public Schools table.

A Rogers school representative describe possible jobs available in their district.

Fayetteville school representatives were on hand at the education career fair.

The U of A Global Campus offers information to students.

The first University of Arkansas career fair to focus solely on teacher-education majors in about a decade drew 22 employers and 150 students to the campus April 10.

Employers from four states – Missouri, Oklahoma, Illinois and Arkansas – included large and small school districts, charter schools, private schools and education recruitment companies. Leah Chamberlain, director of field placement and licensure in the College of Education and Health Professions, and Rickey Booker, associate director of the campus Career Development Center, organized the education career fair.

“We designed this career fair a bit differently, primarily in the timing,” Chamberlain said. “We scheduled it for late afternoon to evening because our students who will graduate next month are doing teaching internships. They are at their schools all day, and many of the potential employers are school administrators who appreciated having the later hours to get to campus.”

Several superintendents and principals have told Chamberlain they wanted the chance to meet with the teacher-education students face-to-face. U of A students all do internships in local schools but some of the smaller schools in rural areas don’t have the same opportunity for that sort of engagement with the students, she said.

Several employers told Chamberlain the experience was valuable for them.

“We spoke with nearly 20 students, some of whom have already submitted applications,” said Sean Berkstresser, talent specialist for Tulsa Public Schools. “We’d love to maintain a close relationship with UA since we are always impressed with your candidates.”

“It was a great fair and I hope you will continue it in the years to come,” said Larry Ben, superintendent of Decatur Public Schools.