Looking for work? Fayette County Public Schools is hiring. Here’s a look at open jobs

Fayette County Public Schools return for the 2023-24 academic year Wednesday, but there are still many open positions in the school system that need to be filled, according to the district’s website.

As of Tuesday, FCPS had 129 openings posted on its online list of vacancies, but the school district won’t get a full picture of its personnel needs until students show up for the first day of classes. Because of that, some of these openings may be subject to change should some schools reassess their hiring needs once school starts.

While salary information isn’t typically listed on the job advertisement itself, a 2023-24 salary schedule for the district is available online. FCPS also hosts a salary estimator tool on its website.

Here’s a look at a few of the open positions advertised on the Lexington school district’s website.

Instructor (multiple openings)

As of Tuesday, FCPS has several open teaching positions advertised on its website. Among the openings are a math teacher for Henry Clay High School, a social studies teacher at Paul Laurence Dunbar High School and several open positions at the district’s elementary schools. Other open positions include a physical education teacher at Harrison Elementary School and a traveling, districtwide orchestra instructor.

FCPS is also looking to fill several open special education teacher positions at Bryan Station High School, Glendover Elementary School, Millcreek Elementary School and the district’s Success Academy, a credit recovery program for students age 16 and older.

Dean of students, Frederick Douglass High School

Frederick Douglass High School is searching for a dean of students, a position that’s like a combination of a guidance counselor and a vice principal.

Elements of the job involve shaping school policy and helping to oversee student discipline, but the dean of students’ chief responsibility, according to the job’s description, is to remove non-academic barriers to success. That could include determining if a student with discipline issues needs counseling or even help from a social worker in dealing with a difficult home life.

This role requires strong interpersonal skills and functions almost like an ambassador between the student and the school. If you’re up to the job, the contact for this position is Lester Diaz at lester.diaz@fayette.kyschools.us.

Paraeducator (multiple openings)

As of Monday, FCPS had 34 openings for paraeducators listed on its website.

Jennifer Dyar, chief human resources officer for FCPS, said this represents the bulk of the school district’s current personnel needs.

“As we move into the start of school, we continue to hire exceptional team members to fill vacancies. Our main need at this time is for Paraeducators (a.k.a. teacher assistants) to work with our students with exceptional needs,” Dyar wrote in an email to the Herald-Leader last week.

Dyar said the candidates will need to have 48 college credit hours and have passed the Kentucky paraeducator assessment.

According to job site Glassdoor, a paraeducator’s primary responsibility is to act as a support to the teacher in the classroom. That could include helping plan a lesson or differentiate instruction — tailoring instruction to different learning needs — or working with students directly in the classroom.

Typically, a paraeducator is a stepping stone to becoming a teacher while paraeducators get training and certifications. Interested applicants should apply online at the district’s website.

Director of transportation

FCPS is seeking an experienced administrator who can ensure the district’s transportation system is running smoothly as the director of transportation.

This is a vital position with duties that include developing and implementing an efficient transportation plan, complete with bus routes, stops and starting times for the roughly 42,000 students. The director will manage the school district’s transportation personnel and look after its vehicle maintenance needs.

A typical day could include waking up early to survey the forecast and help make the call about whether to have school on inclement weather days. It could involve meeting with the media, parents, school staff and district board members to discuss transportation issues the school district is facing.

If you feel up to the task, apply online at fcps.net. The advertisement for the position will remain open until it is filled, and the contact is Julie Farris at julie.farris@fayette.kyschools.us.

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