Representatives from 54 schools joined about 130 students and professionals at the George Sherman Union Sunday for a minority job fair aimed at increasing the number of minority teachers in New England private schools.
The fair, hosted by the Association of Independent Schools in New England and co-sponsored by the Boston University Office of Multicultural Affairs, is an annual event that attempts to attract minority teachers to private schools. The event was open to both students and non-students in the Boston area.
“It’s very important for students to see people [teaching] who look like them,” said Steve Clem, executive director of AISNE. “It’s also important for white students to see people of color teaching.”
School representatives described it as a helpful way to meet potential faculty.
“It’s a more efficient way to meet candidates than advertising in a newspaper,” said Emily Lichtenstein of the Conservatory Lab Charter School of South Boston.
“We’ve been participating regularly for … as long as I can remember,” said Jerry Katz, a former BU student and head of The Park School in Brookline. Katz said he usually finds two or three applicants to invite to the school for a more extensive look at open positions.
Liz Kadish, a graduate student at Tufts University, said she appreciated the opportunity the fair could give them to work with minority students.
“I speak Spanish, and I want to be able to use that in my job,” Kadish said. “I feel that would be an asset to the schools … to better serve their minority populations.”
Candidates disagreed how race affects job opportunities. Gail Brown, 28, of Randolph, an African-American looking for administrative positions, said many companies refuse to associate themselves with minorities.
“There are certain expectations people have and certain images they like to project,” Brown said. “Often, that image is not that of a minority.”
But Kang Lu, a graduate student in Boston University’s School of Medicine, said he could not tell if companies had an ethnic preference.
“I can’t really make a judgment, because it’s not as if I’m white on Tuesdays and Asian the rest of the time,” he said.
Although the event took place at BU, it attracted few BU students.
“It’s a very small number. I’d say less than 1 percent [of the people attending],” said Peggy Davis, assistant director of AISNE.
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