NSU Teacher Job Fair Feels Impact Of Education Budget Cuts

More than 100 new teachers are looking for jobs in Oklahoma as schools continue to slash their budgets by millions of dollars.

Tuesday, Northeastern State University held a job fair for teachers; and while a handful of school showed up, looking to hire, many pulled out because they don’t have any money for new teachers

The people who attended the job fair will soon graduate, but they’re hoping to move to a different classroom - one where they are the teacher.

But, with schools cutting millions of dollars from their budgets, the job opportunities are slim.

"This is 100 percent causing a negative impact on students because there are more students per classroom, less individual interaction with students,” said early education major, Emily Wilson.

Wilson is one of more than 125 graduating seniors looking for jobs at 55 schools.

There were a lot of people at the job fair, but there’s still the underlying education budget impact. So far, over six schools had to pull out because they just don’t have the money to hire anybody else.

Wilson wants to teach in Oklahoma, but understands, with continued cuts, that may not happen.

"No matter the situation in the capital, no matter the politics behind education, my heart is for the students," she said.

Every semester Northeastern State University organizes a teacher job fair. Sarah Tilley with NSU said it's a chance to bring job opportunities directly to the future educators.

"Some of them won't get an interview for the position, and some of them won't jobs for that, and so it's kind of cut throat, I guess you can say, in there right now," Tilley said.

Job fair organizers said if budget cuts continue, they may have to cancel the teacher job fairs altogether.