The annual Coppell ISD Job Fair was held on Saturday morning at Coppell Middle School West. The fair is an opportunity for CISD staff to interview potential candidates for positions in the district. 

These areas include teachers, administration staff, support staff, coaches, cafeteria workers, bus drivers, crossing guards  and all other positions.

“We are looking for people that align well with our core values,” CISD Superintendent Dr. Brad Hunt said.  “We look for people who can establish great relationships with kids, who understand how important it is to not only share [their] content, but also make sure that [they] are building strong relationships with students. We want to find teachers who are good communicators who also understand how important engagement is. We are also looking for people who can work well with a team, understand what it means to collaborate, to be good lesson planners, and just well-rounded individuals.”

Depending on vacancies and needs, the positions offered by each school vary.

“Our school right now only has a fifth grade position open,” Pinkerton Elementary School fourth grade teacher Jacquie Graves said. “Being a small school, we just have three teachers per grade, and right now fifth grade only has two.”

The positions offered also depend on the year.

“Last year we had more teachers retiring, so we had more positions available,” Graves said. “Every summer, you never know, people start shifting around, and so there could be more positions opening up in the summer.”

This year, the fair turnout was about 230 candidates, which was on the higher side as compared to previous years. If someone is hired on the spot, they are offered a Golden Ticket, which is the first step in the hiring process. This year, there were 18 Golden Tickets given out.

“When [a principal] has found the person who has the experience that they are looking for, the degree, or a particular certification that they are looking for that they know they need, and it is a highly sought-after position, or someone that they need to fill that job, then they will offer them a Golden Ticket,” CISD executive director of human resources Kelly Mires said.

The most common jobs applied for are teachers for various levels and subjects. Other jobs commonly applied for include school-aid positions, school administration positions and special education positions. There are also alternative teaching programs offered. CISD director of communications Amanda Simpson said teachers who have not completed their certification can go through the alternative certification program and be a teacher intern while they complete the program. 

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