Teacher Job Fairs across Ohio. (Columbus, Cleveland: home, job openings, school districts)

[jmorg]

I am looking to teach in Ohio and besides applying to district and city websites, I would like to attend some job fairs. Does anyone know how I can go about finding who has teacher job fairs and when they are?

[UntamedOhioan]

I'm also interested in this before getting into teaching. Bump to see what others say

[Buckeye in SC]

Haha...teaching job fairs in Ohio for Ohio schools sounds kind of funny to me! Just from our experience (my wife is a teacher) before moving in 2007 (and I don't think a lot has changed in 2 1/2 years) is that the few job fairs there were from recruiters from other states in the west & south trying to lure teachers out of Ohio! I wish you guys luck, but she tried everything, she would go to various school districts once a week, would call the principal (mostly speaking to their secretaries), she applied for an opening in one district, and the HR person told her that they had "literally thousands of applications and resumes" for 2 or 3 job openings.

Meanwhile, she applied to a school district here in Columbia, had 2 phone interviews and was given the job without even meeting anyone face to face!! Now it's not that easy now here as budget cuts have started to hit as well, but unless things have drastically changed in Ohio - and I'm pretty sure they haven't as we keep up on the news and still have lots of family & friends that live there - wouldn't expect there to be much going in the way of teacher job fairs.

[Clevelander17]

Originally Posted by Buckeye in SC

Haha...teaching job fairs in Ohio for Ohio schools sounds kind of funny to me! Just from our experience (my wife is a teacher) before moving in 2007 (and I don't think a lot has changed in 2 1/2 years) is that the few job fairs there were from recruiters from other states in the west & south trying to lure teachers out of Ohio! I wish you guys luck, but she tried everything, she would go to various school districts once a week, would call the principal (mostly speaking to their secretaries), she applied for an opening in one district, and the HR person told her that they had "literally thousands of applications and resumes" for 2 or 3 job openings.

Meanwhile, she applied to a school district here in Columbia, had 2 phone interviews and was given the job without even meeting anyone face to face!! Now it's not that easy now here as budget cuts have started to hit as well, but unless things have drastically changed in Ohio - and I'm pretty sure they haven't as we keep up on the news and still have lots of family & friends that live there - wouldn't expect there to be much going in the way of teacher job fairs.

The Carolina Board of Relocation strikes again!

Needless to say that story is quite an exageration. There is this myth going around that there is a surplus of teachers. It's just not true, not matter what one's personal experience may be. You didn't even mention what your wife's area of expertise was, her level of experience, etc. There are a lot of factors here which you simply glossed over on your way to once again sliming Ohio.

By the way, teachers in the "South and West" are paid beans in many areas in which the cost of living and taxes are only projected to rise.

I'll never understand the need for people who left Ohio and found happiness elsewhere to come back and trash their home state. It only make sense on the level that these people feel the need to pad their own egos by implying that they "made it" by leaving the state.

[Buckeye in SC]

Originally Posted by Clevelander17

The Carolina Board of Relocation strikes again!

Needless to say that story is quite an exageration. There is this myth going around that there is a surplus of teachers. It's just not true, not matter what one's personal experience may be. You didn't even mention what your wife's area of expertise was, her level of experience, etc. There are a lot of factors here which you simply glossed over on your way to once again sliming Ohio.

By the way, teachers in the "South and West" are paid beans in many areas in which the cost of living and taxes are only projected to rise.

I'll never understand the need for people who left Ohio and found happiness elsewhere to come back and trash their home state. It only make sense on the level that these people feel the need to pad their own egos by implying that they "made it" by leaving the state.

Dude...I could care less if people move to the Carolinas, if they are happy in Ohio, more power to them! We didn't really want to move, but my wife was tired of being hired to do jobs on one year contracts that she had no experience for like special ed.

They asked if there are job fairs in Ohio for OH schools, I didn't see you name any?? If you know of some, please share, but I do know that there were job fairs in Cleveland & Akron w/recruiters from western & southern US schools (Colorado, Carolinas, Florida) b/c I had 2 of my cousins go to them and have been teaching in N. Carolina for the past 4 years now; another friend ended up in Denver, another in Charlotte, and a couple of them moved to Florida - gee, wonder why that many Ohioans just in our little circle all decided to up and move?? I'm not saying you can't get a teaching job in Ohio, especially if you specialize in Math or Science (you asked about my wife, she has MS Science & Language Arts certification), but as far as job fairs go, I've never heard of there being one.

And as for them being paid 'beans' compared to OH schools...that's laughable, my wife made $5k more her first year here than her last year in OH - and yes she was considered a full-time teacher on her one year contract in OH, and was laid off that April (not to mention, at her middle school alone, there have been 5 new teachers from Ohio in the past 2 years, and a handful of others from Michigan). If teachers were paid so 'poorly' here, why would they continue to move this way?

If I was ashamed of Ohio, do you really think I'd keep 'Buckeye' in my name?? I still follow the Bucks bball & football passionately, as I do the Cavaliers. I root for the state to turn-around, I want there to be options for us should we ever decide to move back especially once we have children. However, facts are facts, and teaching jobs are scarce in Ohio, and as I mentioned, that is starting to happen down here, as a lot of districts are talking budget cuts and/or hiring freezes for the upcoming school year.

Do we like Columbia, sure, it's been a great experience, but like I said, I could care less if you move here or not, if you are happy in Ohio and can find good jobs in your profession, awesome! Enjoy your life, I realize not everyone likes just having 3 seasons that we have (essentially no winters - at least by OH/midwest standards) nor does everyone like the humidity that comes w/Summer, but don't just accuse me (you can read some of my other posts in OH forums - I always try to stay fair and balanced and root for my home-state to do well) of trying to recruit people to move here and not back it up w/some facts!

[Clevelander17]

Originally Posted by Buckeye in SC

Dude...I could care less if people move to the Carolinas, if they are happy in Ohio, more power to them! We didn't really want to move, but my wife was tired of being hired to do jobs on one year contracts that she had no experience for like special ed.

They asked if there are job fairs in Ohio for OH schools, I didn't see you name any?? If you know of some, please share, but I do know that there were job fairs in Cleveland & Akron w/recruiters from western & southern US schools (Colorado, Carolinas, Florida) b/c I had 2 of my cousins go to them and have been teaching in N. Carolina for the past 4 years now; another friend ended up in Denver, another in Charlotte, and a couple of them moved to Florida - gee, wonder why that many Ohioans just in our little circle all decided to up and move?? I'm not saying you can't get a teaching job in Ohio, especially if you specialize in Math or Science (you asked about my wife, she has MS Science & Language Arts certification), but as far as job fairs go, I've never heard of there being one.

And as for them being paid 'beans' compared to OH schools...that's laughable, my wife made $5k more her first year here than her last year in OH - and yes she was considered a full-time teacher on her one year contract in OH, and was laid off that April (not to mention, at her middle school alone, there have been 5 new teachers from Ohio in the past 2 years, and a handful of others from Michigan). If teachers were paid so 'poorly' here, why would they continue to move this way?

If I was ashamed of Ohio, do you really think I'd keep 'Buckeye' in my name?? I still follow the Bucks bball & football passionately, as I do the Cavaliers. I root for the state to turn-around, I want there to be options for us should we ever decide to move back especially once we have children. However, facts are facts, and teaching jobs are scarce in Ohio, and as I mentioned, that is starting to happen down here, as a lot of districts are talking budget cuts and/or hiring freezes for the upcoming school year.

Do we like Columbia, sure, it's been a great experience, but like I said, I could care less if you move here or not, if you are happy in Ohio and can find good jobs in your profession, awesome! Enjoy your life, I realize not everyone likes just having 3 seasons that we have (essentially no winters - at least by OH/midwest standards) nor does everyone like the humidity that comes w/Summer, but don't just accuse me (you can read some of my other posts in OH forums - I always try to stay fair and balanced and root for my home-state to do well) of trying to recruit people to move here and not back it up w/some facts!

I just feel that your general tone is very negative towards the state, but whatever.

As for job fairs, I've heard of some of the bigger, urban districts around here having them, but the OP is going to have to do a search.

And finally, in regards to salary, you're right, my "beans" comment was hyperbole. That said, I'm still right in that the median income of a teacher in Cleveland, Ohio and Columbus, Ohio is higher than in a place like Columbia, SC and several other "Sun Belt" cities that oftentimes have higher costs of living.