St. Paul Public Schools hosts teacher preparation fair to recruit future educators

St. Paul Public Schools is reaching out to future teachers to show them what a career in education could look like. The district hosted a teacher preparation fair Saturday to try to help fill the large need for teachers.

10 colleges and universities, four community colleges and other organizations were at the event Saturday, showing off their education programs.

The teacher shortage reaches farther than just St. Paul. A state report shows that nearly 90% of school districts in Minnesota report being either “somewhat significantly” or “very significantly” affected by the staffing shortage.

Almost 25% of those holding a teaching license right now in Minnesota are not teaching right now.

“There are a variety of things that were doing trying to help change that narrative for the profession trying to help change since the start of the pandemic to now theres just a lot of burnout and talking about behaviors and that narrative of the teacher profession it does have to change for people to want to come back and be teachers,” said Anny Xiong, recruitment and diversity specialist for St. Paul Public Schools.

She said one of the biggest staffing needs in St. Paul is more special education teachers.