While Sister Jerilyn Einstein, FMIJ, principal of Guardian Angels Regional School, Gibbstown and Swedesboro, has not seen much turnover in her faculty and staff, this past year, she was looking for a new employee to support the after-school program.
She didn’t have to look any further than a database of prospective candidates who had already expressed an interest in career opportunities in Catholic education.
“I was able to see immediately someone who was interested in what I could offer,” she said.
Sister Jerilyn and other school leaders across the Diocese of Camden have received a special boost in their staff recruitment efforts over the past year, thanks to new efforts by the diocesan Office of Catholic Schools.
The initiative started in 2023, when principals asked diocesan staff to assist with the recruitment of new teachers.
“The schools were looking for a better way to reach out to new candidates more quickly, especially as the school year approached,” said Michael Bress, communications and marketing manager for the Office of Catholic Schools. Those conversations led to the creation of a committee that included diocesan staff and school principals, and new ideas soon followed.
The first was to set up job fairs specifically dedicated to Catholic school employee recruitment. Two were held in June 2023 – hosted at Church of the Incarnation, Mantua, and Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, Absecon – and a second pair of events were organized in 2024. One recruitment fair was held at Camden Catholic High School, Cherry Hill, and the other at Holy Spirit High School, Absecon.
“At each event, potential candidates could meet with principals and staff members from across our schools regarding current and potential openings,” Bress said. “Members of the Office of Catholic Schools were also onsite to assist with any questions and to meet the candidates.”
The team also created a special webpage on the South Jersey Catholic Schools site dedicated to posting and sharing job opportunities. In addition, the team also secured tables at two university job fairs this year – at Stockton University in Galloway and Rowan University in Glassboro – and leveraged social media to promote careers in Catholic education.
“Each university job fair was well-attended, and we received a number of young, strong candidates at each one,” Bress said. “The online promotion also allowed us to reach a large number of people.”
After each event, his team has compiled information about interested candidates into a file that is available to all principals to review when job opportunities in their school communities arise.
As of mid-August, Bress said, the Diocese had compiled information for 77 prospective candidates – four of whom have already been hired for the 2024-25 school year.
Sister Jerilyn said that these efforts make finding a new employee convenient.
“With the job fair, the location, education level and position desired of the candidates is provided, which is a huge help,” she said. “The job fairs also alleviate some of the work of calling people with resumes who have already found employment, or calling people who send out resumes to everyone and who are not really interested in Catholic education.”
Anne Hartman, principal of Christ the King Regional School, Haddonfield, was able to identify two potential candidates – one of whom was “a perfect fit” for an open middle school English and Language Arts teaching position. The new teacher will be starting in the classroom in a few weeks.
“From all the various candidates I interviewed for my two open positions, all of them mentioned that they were hoping and wanting to teach in a school system that embraced Christian values, and hoped to have more actual teaching time with their students and less challenging classroom management issues in a Catholic school environment,” she said.
Bress said the faith-filled and welcoming environment are two key benefits of Catholic education that prospective teachers value.
“Our Catholic schools provide a safe, friendly working environment where your Catholic faith is embraced and celebrated,” he said. “Our schools are strong communities where teachers and administrators are supported by one another and by the school families. We also believe that teachers can create strong relationships with their students and families, and feel like they are making a real impact on their students’ lives.”
At Camden Catholic High School, principal Heather Crisci was able to find Paul Sbarra, who will begin teaching science this year.
She also acknowledged the unique benefits of education careers in Catholic schools.
“Catholic schools are a wonderful place to work,” she said. “There is a strong sense of community rooted in faith where the teachers become a part of something greater, working to develop the lives of young people.”
To learn more about career opportunities and to submit a resume, visit southjerseycatholicschools.org/employment.
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