30 March 2024
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) – Finding that perfect job may be a waiting game for now.
“It’s a little difficult right now. I know that I have been looking at and keeping up with the website,” said Kierra McGuire, who wants to teach at USD 259. “There’s only three jobs currently to apply for. Which is a little stressful, but I know the situation with the schools and everything. I know it’s going to be a long process.”
United Teachers of Wichita says if you are about to graduate college and want to teach elementary or middle grades at Wichita public schools, you will have to be patient.
“We’re going to see where everything lands after the school closure process,” said UTW VP Mike Harris of the new teacher hiring process this spring. “Right now, the district has been prioritizing finding opportunities for teachers that are being displaced by the school closures. The latest information we’ve gotten from the district is a little over a quarter of the certified staff have already been placed for next year and that they are going to be holding another job fair in April and potentially in May.”
Janet Eubank is the division chair for teacher education at Friends University. She is also Kierra McGuire’s teaching and administration coach at Friends.
“Definitely, the need for new teachers is still there,” said Eubank. “When they say they’re really not taking applications, meaning [USD] 259 not taking applications for a specific position, that makes it a little bit different because usually they post what positions are open. And then you can apply for those particular positions. But for right now, it may be that you go ahead and submit your application, and it may sit in a queue for just a little bit until the teachers in those buildings have found a new home.”
“If anybody asks me why I want to do this, it’s the only thing I see myself doing,” said McGuire, who was hoping to already have found a teaching job in USD 259. “I was a little anxious at first, but I talked to my student advisor, I talked to Janet (Eubank), and she said give it some grace. Give it some patience. She said when it comes to summertime, and you don’t see jobs, then you can worry, but for now, just be patient.”