Applicants filled the halls and classrooms of East Texas Montessori Prep Academy on May 1st for the annual job fair, hoping to join Longview Independent School District.
Representatives from the district's various campuses and departments answered questions with the goal of adding valuable educators to one of the fastest-growing school districts in East Texas.
Describing the job fair as a 'kickoff event,' Ms. Shalona McCray, LISD Director of Employee Relations, said her department will continue recruiting throughout the spring and summer.
'This isn't the end of our search for qualified applicants, actually more like the kickoff,' she said. 'For anyone who wasn't able to make it out here today, we encourage them to submit an application through the website, and contact us for any questions about positions that may still be available.'
With over 25 campuses and departments looking to fill about around 50 jobs, there were plenty of opportunities available. From those looking for a future job to those there to greet them, everyone seemed to be in good spirits.
Ms. McCrary said an important goal of the job fair is to allow interested applicants an opportunity to sit down with potential supervisors and to get a sense of whether it was a good fit.
'There's only so much you can get from a resume, this event allows professionals to meet and put a face to a name,' she said. 'Today we had a lot of excitement, a lot of great conversations, and positive applicants. You can see people smiling and know relationships are being built.”
Some applicants traveled from as far away as Tyler and Nacogdoches, with others coming from neighboring districts around the greater Longview area.
Brenda Carter lives in Carthage but said she's interested in applying at Longview ISD because 'everyone knows it's got the best-paying schools in the area.'
'I don't mind [commuting from Carthage] if it means working for this district,' she said. 'LISD has a reputation for being on the cutting edge of education across the state.'
Lisa Hidalgo of Chapel Hill wasn't able to attend the Saturday event in person but contacted the Human Resources department on Friday to begin the application process.
'I'd love to be a part of Longview ISD, any campus,' she said. 'LISD is a destination district for teachers all over East Texas.'
For more information about career opportunities at Longview ISD please visit LISD.org/careers, or contact the LISD Human Resources department at 903-381-2200.