Job searching in the new year? Coachella Valley Unified, Desert Sands Unified and Palm Springs Unified are looking to fill classified and certificated positions, with DSUSD and PSUSD hosting recruitment fairs in early 2025.
K-12 students across the Coachella Valley are also heading back to the classroom after winter break, with CVUSD and DSUSD resuming classes on Jan. 6 and PSUSD on Jan. 13.
Also in this week's education roundup: The student transfer window is now open; and a recap of local educational opportunities across the Coachella Valley for those seeking new opportunities in the new year, from college to scholarship applications.
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Coachella Valley Unified, Desert Sands Unified and Palm Springs Unified districts looking to fill several positions
Coachella Valley Unified, Desert Sands Unified and Palm Springs Unified school districts are hosting job fairs, or flying positions, in the coming weeks to fill a variety of roles, including teachers, bus drivers, counselors and nutrition workers.
Positions requiring teaching credentials, such as teachers, counselors and administrators, are categorized as "certificated staff." Roles like safety supervisors and bus drivers fall under "classified staff," which do not require teaching credentials.
CVUSD is hiring substitutes for various classified positions, offering hourly pay ranging from $16.50 to $23.90. These on-call roles include office and instructional support, paraeducators focused on early childhood education, kitchen staff, safety supervisors, bus monitors, campus security assistants, maintenance workers, custodians and groundskeepers. Applications must be submitted through EdJoin, an online education job board.
DSUSD will host a classified employee job fair from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Jan. 25, at its Desert Education Center building at 47-950 Dune Palms Road in La Quinta, where applicants can meet supervisors and managers. The district aims to hire substitutes for bus drivers, campus security agents, custodians, educational interpreters, nutrition services assistants, as well as paraeducators specializing in early childhood and special education. No appointment is needed.
A week later, DSUSD will host an educator recruitment fair from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 1. Prospective applicants can secure an on-site interview with a principal or district representative by registering in advance through a Google Form and applying via EdJoin to schedule an appointment. Walk-ins are welcome but should bring a letter of introduction, a resume, an unofficial transcript, and three current letters of recommendation. The district may grant up to 18 years of creditable service. An additional recruitment fair is scheduled for May 31.
Similarly, PSUSD will hold a teacher recruitment fair from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Feb. 8. The district seeks candidates in all subjects, including those with or eligible for teaching credentials in math, science, foreign languages, school nursing, special education or speech-language pathology by the 2025-26 school year. Candidates must bring a resume, a letter of introduction and three current letters of recommendation. Interested applicants who register for the fair and submit a job application on EdJoin in advance will receive priority arrival times. Attendees without an EdJoin job application will be assigned later time slots.
For more information: Visit edjoin.org/coachellavalleyusd, edjoin.org/dsusd and edjoin.org/psusd
Palm Springs Unified School District student transfer window for 2025-26 now open
PSUSD's school of choice transfer window is now open for the 2025-26 school year, with priority applications due by March 3.
As an open enrollment district, PSUSD students can attend schools outside their home boundaries, based on availability. Transfers are granted through a lottery system, so submitting a request does not guarantee approval. Students with siblings at the same school receive higher priority if space allows. If a student is already on a transfer or accepted to a school of choice, they do not need to reapply unless moving to a new school level, such as from elementary to middle or middle to high school. Transfers may also impact eligibility for school sports.
DSUSD's school transfer applications for the 2025-26 school year are due by Feb. 28. Applicants who are not selected are placed in a waiting pool for potential openings later. To request a transfer to Washington Charter Elementary or Palm Desert Charter Middle, contact the schools directly, as each has its own transfer application and deadline.
Inter-district transfer requests, which allow students to transfer between districts, can also be submitted online to any of the three local public K-12 school districts in the Coachella Valley.
For more information: Visit k12transfers.com
A recap of local, educational opportunities in the Coachella Valley
If you're planning to grow your career in education or pursue a new path this year, several local opportunities with approaching deadlines are coming up: