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Future teacher Vincent Passero-Noska has as many questions for his future employer as were asked of him on Friday.
The Indiana State senior had just completed student teaching at Lake Central High School and spoke with school representatives from Lake and Porter counties at a teacher job fair hosted by IU Northwest’s College of Education.
Officials from 20 local schools and school districts stood at tables inside the Savannah Center to welcome the job prospects.
Although Passero-Noska lives in Orland Park, Illinois, he said he longs to teach in Indiana.
“I’ve talked to everyone here. I want to find a team that prioritizes support for employees and prioritizes discipline,” he said. “I asked about all their policies.”
New teachers can be a little picky. There are approximately 1,800 teaching positions open on the Indiana Department of Education’s job board.
Marnita Taylor, executive director of curriculum and instruction at Merrillville Community School Corp., said the district has 20 openings in 2024-25.
She has accepted about 25 resumes. “They come from all different fields and we’re excited to have them,” she said of the range of disciplines covered by the applicants.
“I’m not worried at all. It was a really good turnout,” Taylor said.
Merrillville will oversee its own special education program next year after leaving the Northwest Indiana Special Education Cooperative.
“This will bring a more specialized focus,” said Denona Pryor, director of Merrillville’s special education department. “It’s important to bring special education under the same banner.”
Nearby, Highland High School Principal John Zack and Director of Guidance Kelly Gossman spoke with students for the first time.
“I didn’t know what to expect,” Zach said. “It’s great to see them.”
The high school needs about four to five new teachers, he said.
Zucker said he was concerned about the trend of declining numbers of education graduates. He said Valparaiso University has about 22 educational programs.
“We’re a small area, only six buildings. I’m always cautiously optimistic,” he said.
There are 29 spring education graduates, said Michelle Coughlin, director of student teaching and internships in the IUN College of Education.
“It makes me optimistic overall, but I know we’re still going to struggle,” said Coughlin, the former principal of Eddings Elementary School in Merrillville.
Valparaiso Benjamin Franklin Middle School Principal Jean Sienkowski and Parkview Elementary School Principal Mike Rayson welcomed the new teacher candidates and said Valparaiso Community Schools is fortunate to retain its teachers.
Rayson said Valparaiso has a district-wide teacher mentorship program in which instructional coaches support new teachers in their first few months on the job.
“It’s a logical approach for them to share technology,” he said.
Sinkovsky said the district only needs a few teachers per school.
“They asked more questions,” she said of the candidates they met.
Kaitlyn Pecoski, of Highland, said she will graduate from IUN next month with a dual license in elementary education and special education.
“I’ve always wanted to go into special education, and this is an all-in-one degree,” she said. “My brother is in special education, so I have a family perspective as well.”
Pekoski said she is looking forward to returning to her classroom in August.
“I’m happy, I love what I do,” she said.
Meanwhile, the Indiana Educational Employment Relations Commission reported that teacher pay increased, but the state’s average salary still lags behind its neighbors.
Last year, the average teacher salary in Indiana was $58,531, up from about $57,000 the year before.
More than 31,000 full-time teachers make more than the state average, and about 32,000 full-time teachers make less than the state average, the report said.
State law sets the minimum salary for teachers at $40,000.
The National Education Association ranks Indiana 39th in teacher salaries.
Carol Carlson is a freelance writer for The Tribune.
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