Champaign School District Starts Career Fair for Substitute Teachers

The Champaign Unit 4 School District wants to be more involved in finding substitute teachers.

So, for the first time, it is hosting a career fair over the next week where Unit 4 principals get the chance to do short sit-down interviews with perspective subs.

The career fair comes months after the state shifted more of the responsibility of screening substitute teachers from individual school districts to the Regional Offices of Education.

Jeff Scott, the principal at Carrie Busey Elementary School in Champaign, said he hopes the career fair strengthens Unit 4's pool of teachers.

"We have so many kids that are sitting in front of substitute teachers throughout the course of the year," Scott said. "We feel like it's important to get the best people approved to actually substitute instead of just people that might not be qualified."

School District spokeswoman Lynn Peisker said about 150 substitutes intend to return to the classroom in the fall, and as many as 50 additional subs may be brought on board. While Regional Office of Education #9 ultimately decides which people are qualified to substitute in Champaign County, Peisker said the job fair will help Unit 4 narrow its pool of potential candidates.

"We do have candidates that are not recommended for hire as substitutes in classrooms," Peisker said. "However, we need substitutes as teacher's aides, substitutes in clerical, substitutes in other areas of our building. So, we continue to look at their information and encourage them to apply in those other opportunities."

The career fair will be the only opportunity for people to apply to work as Unit 4 substitute teachers during the 2011-2012 school year. It continues next week at the Mellon Administrative Center in Champaign on Monday, July 11 from 1pm to 4pm and Tuesday, July 12 from 5pm to 7pm.