Brad Mautz doesn't graduate from Northern Illinois University until December, but he already has a teaching job waiting for him in Gary.
Mautz, of Chicago, was one of several students who attended a recruitment fair Wednesday at Purdue University Northwest.
The Gary Community School Corp., under emergency manager Gary Schools Recovery LLC, is recruiting 18 licensed teachers to replace long-term substitute teachers on the school district's roster. Peggy Hinckley, who leads Gary Schools Recovery, said the district established a new partnership with Purdue University Northwest in Hammond to enable the search.
"They have December graduates and people looking for teaching jobs. We'd like to capture them, interview them on the spot and offer contracts. We hope they can start second semester," she said.
Hinckley told the recruits the salary would start at $40,500.
"I can sweeten that if you have additional certifications," she said.
Gary is paying its long-term substitutes $225 a day, Hinckley said. Not all have backgrounds in the crucial areas they're teaching, she said. Improving student achievement is among the incentives for Hinckley's firm, which has a two-year state contract.
Gary Schools Recovery, a subsidiary of MGT Consulting Group, can earn a third year if the General Assembly approves the measure. The company is charged with digging the district out of a deep financial hole and raising achievement levels.
Two Gary elementary schools — Marquette and Beveridge — face state intervention if failing grades aren't improved.
The school district is also recruiting qualified tutors to assist students in grades 3-6 in extended day programs in math and English at Marquette and Beveridge. The tutors will receive $20 an hour.
The extended day tutoring begins Nov. 1, from 1:45 to 4:45 p.m. Tuesdays-Thursdays.
Hinckley said children who take part will receive dinner at the end of each session. Tutors are required to have a substitute license and 60 hours of college.
Mautz, 24, said he received a flyer about Gary's teacher recruitment at his school.
"It's close to home, it's about an hour away," he said.
He said his girlfriend also teaches in Gary at Steel City Charter School.
"I went to a suburban school, and I wanted a more urban experience," he said. "I'll have my master's and getting an elementary education endorsement."
Mautz was interviewed for 30 minutes by teacher Yvonne Lucas and Melisha Jones-Henderson, human resources director.
By the end, he had received an offer.
Next, he said he's heading to Gary to observe a typical classroom before finalizing his decision.
Another teaching candidate, Sheila Carter, returned to Gary from Milwaukee to look after her parents. She said she has experience in several fields.
She holds an MBA and an undergraduate degree in social work, in addition to a general education degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
She also is familiar with Gary, graduating from Lew Wallace High School 30 years ago.
Carter, who said she comes from a family of teachers, is filling in now at another school district for a teacher on maternity leave.
"Starting in January would be perfect," she said.
Shavionne Edwards, 21, came to the recruitment fair for a tutoring job. The Purdue Northwest education major and Andrean High grad is on track to earn her teaching degree in 2019.
Edwards, of Gary, said she understands the challenges the city's schools are facing. The elementary schools she attended are all closed.
"I know there's a negative light on it, but my experiences were phenomenal."