With one month to go before the new school year begins, Polk County Public Schools is working to fill at least 314 instructional openings. Available positions range from pre-kindergarten teachers at Crystal Lake Elementary School to advanced placement calculus instructors at Kathleen Senior High — and everything in between.
Job fairs: The district is hosting an in-person job fair on Tuesday, July 16, at the Jim Miles Center, 4270 Wallace Road, Highland City, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Pre-registration is recommended.
A virtual job fair will be Wednesday, July 24, from 4 to 6 p.m. Registration will open soon. Check the district’s website for information.
“PCPS recruits aggressively year-round to bring talented educators to our schools,” said Caroline Giroux, PCPS director of recruitment and engagement. “We’re a great place for both new and experienced teachers to further their careers. And with Polk County being one of the fastest growing areas in the nation, this is an exciting place to impact children and make a difference.”
Salaries: The starting base salary for a first-year teacher is $47,500 with bonuses for additional education. Teachers with master’s degrees earn an extra $3,162 annually. Those with specialist degrees get $4,517 more and those with doctoral degrees earn an additional $6,776. To see the district’s step schedule, go here.
Benefits: Polk County Public Schools provides:
- Health insurance at no cost to individual employees.
- Access to free employee health clinics from the day you’re hired.
- Participation in the Florida Retirement System.
- Opportunities for Title I stipends and supplements at some of the 116 Title I schools.
- Instructional coaches at most schools.
- PCPS Teacher Engagement Teams, which provide support and opportunities to educators.
Fewer vacancies than last year: PCPS spokesman Kyle Kennedy said the instructional vacancy count is currently around 314. At this time last year, the district had about 453 openings.
With non-instructional and administrative positions factored in, the district has nearly 500 job openings today.
“Keep in mind, our vacancy count is typically higher during the summer as we’re making allocations and staff changes for the coming year,” Kennedy said. “During ‘normal’ times of the year, we usually have about 200 instructional vacancies at any time, out of a workforce of approximately 7,000 teachers.”
Kennedy said district recruiters host online and in-person job fairs, travel to colleges around the state, and recruit nationally and overseas.
Browse jobs: To see the openings, go to the district’s career page. Recruiters can be reached at jobs@polk-fl.net or 863-534-0781.
Substitute school crossing guards: The Sheriff’s Office is also recruiting substitute crossing guards in Lakeland and elsewhere in Polk County. Applicants should be available to work one hour in the morning and 30 minutes in the afternoon as needed. For more information, contact Supervisor Heather Strafford at (863) 534-7300, ext. 108.
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