Camden City schools kick off teacher recruitment push, offering $10K signing bonuses for hard-to-fill positions
CAMDEN, N.J. (CBS) -- Rows of recruiters sifted through stacks of resumes Tuesday evening in the Camden High Campus - Auxiliary Gymnasium, each page holding the promise of a potential hire for the Camden City School District.
Jennifer Ruthner is a newly certified teacher hoping to get her foot in the door at an elementary school.
She said the job fair at Camden High was the perfect opportunity to make an in-person impression.
"It's great because I get to speak to the available principals," Ruthner said. "[I] get an idea of what their school atmosphere is like, and they're all in one place versus if you put in an application online. You don't know where your application is going."
The district kicked off its 2024-25 recruitment campaign to fill all school-based and support roles, enticing candidates with a $10,000 signing bonus for hard-to-fill positions, including science, math, special education, Spanish, bilingual, English as a second language, and health/PE teachers.
"We're dealing with a nationwide teacher shortage and since the pandemic, it has been very difficult to retain great talent," Camden City School District Superintendent Katrina McCombs said.
The job fair featured representation from nearly all schools and departments within the district and allowed candidates to complete applications at computer kiosks and engage with recruiters immediately.
The school district is hoping to attract qualified applicants for a variety of positions with immediate openings, including teachers for all subject areas, skilled maintenance professionals, custodians, bus drivers, security officers and more.
For 10 years, Karlo Bademosi has been a teacher at Camden High. Now, he's looking to expand his role.
"I really do love the classroom," Bademosi said. "Our Black and Latino young men truly need a person they can relate to."
The Camden City School District serves a student population that is roughly 55% Latino and 45% Black and Superintendent McCombs seeks employees who will fully embrace this diversity.
"If you are not afraid to build relationships and engage our young people, then you are going to be a great fit for our district," McCombs said.
Click here for more information on CCSD job openings.
