The Puzzle: Blog

For the past several months, we've been planning and hosting hiring conferences across the country–and it's strange to realize that with FORUM/DC last week, we're done for the season!

Over the last 11 weeks, we hosted eight events in eight different cities and seven states, facilitating interviews between candidates and schools and catching hints of the local flavors of Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Boston, Atlanta, Baltimore, San Francisco, New York City, and Washington, D.C. While conference season falls at the same time as what we call our “busy season” at CS&A, it is still our absolute favorite time of year. Our work comes to life at our conferences when we're able to talk face-to-face with with candidates and school contacts we've been working with via phone or email, and we're able to more intimately understand the needs of those we serve. We're also so proud to facilitate connections between schools and candidates, and we know that many of the interviews at our conferences have and will continue to lead to the right match being made.

January: Diversity FORUM

Dr. Cornel West rouses the crowd during his keynote address.

Our third-annual Diversity FORUM kicked off conference season in Philadelphia. Keynote speaker Dr. Cornel West inspired and moved attendees when he took the stage, and the energy from the morning remained palpable throughout the day. A record number of interviews and a day full of professional development sessions brought together diverse educators from around the country and facilitated important conversation around the issue of diversity and inclusion in our schools.

February: FORUM/LA, FORUM/Boston, and FORUM/Atlanta

“Get in Formation- Breaking the Glass Ceiling” at FORUM/Boston discussed challenges women face in the workplace and announced our inaugural CS&A Women's Institute.

February was a busy month, as we hosted two regional and one national hiring conference. Schools and candidates from southern California and the Southeast joined us at FORUM/LA and FORUM/Atlanta, respectively. We definitely appreciated the opportunity to escape Boston during winter and enjoy the sunshine!

Our largest (and favorite) event of the year, FORUM/Boston, welcomed hundreds of candidates and schools for two days of interviews and professional development panels. Despite a snowstorm that cancelled flights and shut most of the city down, the conference was a huge success.

March: LINK@NAIS Baltimore, FORUM/San Francisco, and FORUM/NYC

Making the match at LINK@NAIS in Baltimore.

March saw us jet-setting between both coasts for events in Baltimore, San Francisco, and New York City. This year, our LINK event took place in Baltimore in conjunction with the NAIS Annual Conference. LINK is a great opportunity for schools and candidates who might already be attending NAIS to take care of their hiring or job-seeking needs at the same time, and a lot of interviews took place over the two days of the event.

Our conferences in San Francisco and New York City welcomed candidates and schools from northern California and the Tri-State area, as well as a handful of schools in between. As usual, the turnout was strong and the days flew by with interviews.

April: FORUM/DC

Our final event of the year brought us to Washington, D.C. and joined schools and candidates from the Mid-Atlantic region. It was a bittersweet moment for us as the last interview wrapped up in the Renaissance Dupont Circle Hotel, but we have a lot to look forward to the rest of this year, including our inaugural CS&A Women's Institute.

Thank you to everyone who made the success of this conference season possible: Conference Director Kim Garner and her conference team in our Boston office; all the candidates who diligently sent messages, took initiative, and traveled near and far to meet with schools and with us; and the hundreds of schools that came to these events and made our work pleasant and rewarding. We have loved the opportunity to meet with you all in person, and we look forward to next conference season!

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