Applying for teaching jobs may get a whole lot easier in N.J.

New Jersey may be getting a website where teachers can apply for jobs in nearly 600 school districts.
A bill to create a web portal for all certified teachers and substitutes seeking jobs passed the state Senate last week. The measure is designed to help address the teacher shortage.
“Anything we can do to streamline the application process as we face worker shortages in education will make jobs more accessible and will get qualified teachers into our classrooms faster so our students have the support they need to thrive,” said Senate Majority Leader M. Teresa Ruiz, D-Essex, one of the bill’s sponsors.
Ruiz said the new portal would still allow districts some flexibility in the way they receive applications. But, it would “make the process more user-friendly and reduce repetitive tasks.”
Under the current system, teachers and substitutes usually apply for jobs district by district. Some can also apply through njschooljobs.com, a database used by more than 2,000 schools in districts that can afford the paid service.
This late in the school year, some districts are still understaffed. Paterson, one of the state’s largest school districts, reported 123 teacher vacancies recently. Many other districts are short staffed for special education teachers, world language teachers and those in STEM fields.
The bill, S2498, passed the state Senate 40-0. It would require the state Department of Education to create one website where teachers and substitutes could seek jobs in the state’s more than 600 districts. A similar bill, A3864, has been referred to the Assembly Education Committee, but has not had a vote yet.
“This bill would allow all districts across the State to use one free tool when searching for and fielding teacher and substitute applicants,” said state Sen. Angela V. McKnight, D-Hudson, another of the measure’s sponsors.
The site would make “employment significantly more accessible for teachers,” McKnight said.
The New Jersey Education Association, the state’s largest teachers union, welcomed the bill. “This is a win-win for educators and school districts alike,” said NJEA spokesman Steven Baker.
“Schools are stronger and students are better served when we have a great teacher in every classroom. A portal that matches qualified candidates with districts that are hiring will make the system more efficient and accessible,” he said.
Some states, including Georgia, Kentucky, Iowa and Pennsylvania, have laws that require statewide job portals for teachers, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. In addition, the National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification has an educator job posting map with links to websites that contain openings for teachers.
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Tina Kelley may be reached at [email protected].