TN Teacher Jobs Connection Receives Over 1,300 Submissions Since May
Teacher Candidates from Across State & Country Invited to Submit Information
Nashville, TN—Today, the Tennessee Department of Education announced that the TN Teacher Jobs Connection has received over 1,300 submissions from interested teachers and teacher candidates who are interested in teaching in Tennessee. This initiative, originally launched in May, is meant to connect job-seeking individuals from across the state and country with opportunities in Tennessee’s schools and districts.
"We’ve heard from districts about the challenges to recruitment they are experiencing due the COVID-19 pandemic, so we are thrilled that so many teachers and teacher candidates are making use of this resource” said Commissioner Penny Schwinn. “The department is happy to provide this service to help connect high-quality teaching candidates to our districts and help fill critical vacancies across the state. We look forward to continuing the Teacher Jobs Connection into the future, so we encourage individuals who are interested in finding a teaching position to submit their information.”
The TN Teacher Jobs Connection serves as a central location for interested applicants to connect with teaching opportunities in the state’s schools and districts. Any educator or educator-candidate from across the country who is interested in teaching in Tennessee is welcome to submit their information to the department through this form.
Since this initiative was first announced in May 2020, the TN Teacher Jobs Connection has drawn submissions from across the country. Submissions have come from a wide range of teaching candidates who hope to find a teaching position in Tennessee, including recent college graduates, highly skilled professionals looking to enter the education sector, and highly qualified out-of-state educators and administrators with decades of classroom experience and numerous accolades. This initiative is also meant to support current Tennessee educators who may be seeking another role within the state.
“We are grateful the department stepped in to help fill a recruiting gap many of us are facing this year,” said Dr. Lisa Spencer, Human Resources Supervisor, Wilson County Schools. “Finding and hiring great teachers is always a top priority for us, but it became more challenging when COVID-19 interrupted our typical recruitment strategies. We have had success in using both the Tennessee Teacher Jobs Connection and Tennessee Education Job Board to help find attractive candidates to fill vacancies, and I encourage other districts to make use of these tools if they haven’t already.”
The TN Teacher Jobs Connection is open to educators who are both currently licensed to teach in Tennessee, as well as recent graduates and out-of-state job seekers who are not yet licensed in Tennessee. Teachers who are not yet licensed are also able to submit, as they may be in the process of getting their license and/or a district could potentially hire them on a permit while they complete licensing requirements. The submission form allows teaching candidates to highlight their preferred grade levels, subject areas, and grand divisions, and candidates are also able to highlight their current licensure status, endorsement areas, and prior experiences.
By participating, all individuals agree to have their information shared widely, as the department provides submission information directly to Tennessee schools and district HR directors. All districts receive submissions and, if interested, will contact individuals directly to discuss opportunities and request more information.
The TN Teacher Jobs Connection is one of three recent initiatives, along with the TN Substitute Teacher Jobs Connection and the TN Education Job Board, that the Department has implemented to support districts and schools in their hiring efforts when the COVID-19 pandemic made typical recruitment methods challenging.
The TN Education Job Board allows interested applicants from across the country to explore and apply for available positions within Tennessee’s schools and districts. This resource serves as a centralized location where job seekers can also view district contact information and explore featured roles that are submitted by districts on a rolling basis.
The TN Substitute Teacher Job Connection supports district recruitment and hiring of substitute teachers. Since this initiative was first announced in July 2020, the Department has received over 250 submissions from individuals interested in serving as a substitute teacher in Tennessee.
Read more about the TN Teacher Jobs Connection here and here .
For additional information on the department’s COVID-19 and school reopening related resources, please visit https://www.tn.gov/education/health-and-safety/update-on-coronavirus/reopening-guidance.html. For Tennessee Department of Education media inquiries, contact Edu.MediaInquiries@tn.gov.
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