Blog Post: "Great Arizona Teach-In" was .... GGRRREEAAT!!!!

From the very moment we entered the Hall, you could see and feel the excitement... over a 125 booths; a whole cadre of education professionals from Arizona Department of Education management & staff; a wide array of volunteers; colleges / universities / public schools / charter schools; superintendents; principals; teachers; recruiters; educational specialists- all there to greet and interview over 2,000 teaching profession jobseekers from Arizona and from around the United States!   

This 'one-stop' education career fair provided comprehensive information to current and future education professionals. Arizona schools were recruiting SLPs, Special Educators, General Educators, Paraprofessionals, Administrators, and Related Service Providers...and more! Schools from around the state were conducting on-site interviews to obtain the best and brightest to serve Arizona students.  An expansive Resource Room was set up to provide information on a wide array of education employment issues (from fingerprinting - to certification, etc) and participants were able to obtain comprehensive information...all under one roof.

Our community videographer, Justin Cervetti, was on hand to capture the excitement on video and film - and we'll be posting those shots / film on our website, and that of the Arizona Department of Education (www.ade.state.az.us) within a few days.  We spoke to / interviewed and filmed teachers, prospective teachers, representatives from schools from teachers - to recruiters - to principals - to administrators from around the state...as well as a very large number of out-of-state jobseekers who travelled here specifically for this event.   

My personal thanks to Denise Jones (AZ DES Personnel Office) and Ronda Stroud (Life Development Institute) for taking the time from their Saturday and volunteering to assist us in a variety of capacities from Greeter - to Registration - to Resume Review. 

A special thanks are extended to some very special members of the Arizona Department of Education that granted us extended interviews: Arizona Department of Education Superintendent Tom Horne; Deputy Associate Superintendent Colette Chapman (Exceptional Student Services (ESS); ESS Director Miriam Podrazik; Dr. Patricia Allison (ESS) - as well as ASU Professor Cathy Bacon. 

You won't want to miss seeing / hearing their comments!  

If you missed the career fair and want information on teaching opportunities in Arizona, please contact the Arizona Department of Education directly and/or check out their most informative web site at www.ade.state.az.us.