Getting Aggressive with Teacher Recruitment

May 17, 2018, 3:38 PM

(from Educational Leadership) Schools should undertake "a vigorous, systematic, and unapologetic effort to recruit" people to the teaching profession, according to Zachary Herrmann, a program director at the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education. "When an organization identifies where its greatest value lies, shouldn't it be relentless in pursuing it?" Instead, "most prospective teachers are left to search the internet for open positions, navigate bureaucratic application interfaces, and hope that they will hear back from a human being at some point in the process. Generally speaking, the process relies almost entirely on the initiative of the candidate."

Herrman's tips for flipping the paradigm around draw in part from corporate recruiting. They include prospecting for future teachers based on interests, passions and skills; offering internships where younger college students shadow teachers; hosting informational nights to make the recruitment and hiring process more personal; and above all "framing themselves as attractive places to work and actively—if not aggressively—pursuing top talent for their most important roles."