KANSAS CITY, MO (KCTV) -
The Kansas City, MO, Public School District wants to make sure classrooms are full of quality teachers in the fall.
"We are looking for highly qualified teachers because we want to move our students to the next level," said Denise Kelly with KCMO Public Schools. "All our teachers are certified. But we're looking for teachers excited to work with an open core, work with our students and move them along, help them to achieve. They don't have to have a lot of experience, but they have to love students, be ready to work. We need them to be involved with parents."
The district said they hope to find 100 to 150 new teachers. This is the first year they've started the process at a job fair like Saturdays.
"The opportunity to make a difference in a school district that's struggling right now. Helping kids is a passion of mine," said applicant Jason Lowe.
Lowe hopes to land a job as a high school Spanish teacher.
"(I have) varied background as a youth pastor. I have skills to build relationships with students and also the parents in the community to be able to understand them so I can be a better teacher," he said.
As the district works toward re-accreditation school officials said they know it takes a certain kind of teacher.
"Children are children. Working in an urban core is going to be different. You have different socioeconomic differences. We have to get our parents and community involved. Teachers have to really love working in the urban core and live students with those backgrounds," Kelly said. "It's a challenge but it's exciting."
Lowe said he wants to be part of a district he sees as moving in the right direction.
"You get quality people into a district, people willing to work hard and focus, you can make a difference," he said.
If you missed Saturday's job fair you can still apply online. Click here for a link to the district's website.
KCTV5's Justin Schmidt also checked in with the teachers' union. Representative Andrea Flinders said she's happy to see local hires being made as Teach for America teachers come off contract. She added that local hires tend to stay in the district longer.
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