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10 Steps for Hiring Effective Teachers

First Edition
By: Mary C. Clement

From recruitment through final negotiations, this quick-read guide presents proven strategies for hiring high-performing teachers, including interview techniques that predict on-the-job success at your school.

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Product Details

Grade Level: PreK-12
ISBN: 9781483380186
Published By: Corwin
Year: 2015
Page Count: 128
Publication date: January 08, 2015

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Description

The quick-read, step-by-step guide to hiring outstanding teachers!

Whether you are new to hiring or searching for a fresh approach, this invaluable guide helps you select the best possible candidates.

Mary Clement, a nationally-awarded expert on teacher hiring, presents proven strategies for identifying high-performing teachers. Readers will learn

Ten best practices that address every stage of the hiring process
Techniques and sample questions for Behavior-Based Interviewing
Interview questions to avoid
How to involve teacher peers in interviewing and mentoring new hires

Identify and hire high-performing teachers, and see your students’ academic potential flourish!

"Mary has intimate knowledge of the realities of the hiring process in schools and her suggestions for improvement are rooted in these facts. The need for the book is long overdue."
—Tim Neubert, Board President, Illinois Association for Employment in Education
Human Resources Administrator, Veteran School District

"Starting with the opening pages Mary Clement provides the reader with succinct, research-based targeted information on good hiring policy and practice. Her emphasis on behavior-based interviewing and involvement of other school stakeholders is well taken."
—Lloyd Goldsmith, Professor and Program Director
Department of Graduate Studies in Education, Abilene Christian University

"They say hiring a teacher is a multi-million dollar decision. When a multi-million dollar decision is being made you want the best process for obtaining the best teachers that you can. 10 Steps for Hiring Effective Teachers will put you on that path."
—L. Robert Furman, Elementary Principal
South Park School District

Key features

Arranged in chronological order, the chapters provide guidance for each step of the hiring process. The appendices provide templates for creating the forms needed for applicant reviews and interview questions. Some readers may want to begin with the appendices to see the practical applications available, and then go back and read the chapters.

There are vignettes, personal stories, and an excellent appendix with usable templates.

Appendices:

Appendix 1 – Survey of Recent New Hires

Appendix 2 – Template for Soliciting Teachers for the Hiring Process

Appendix 3 – Role-plays and Discussion Questions for Training

Appendix 4 – Template for Cover Letter and Resume Evaluation

Appendix 5 - Prohibited Questions

Appendix 6 – Preliminary Interview Questions

Appendices 7 – 18 On-site Interview Questions by Grade and Subject Areas
Appendix 19 - New Teacher Orientation and Induction Workshops
Appendix 20 - Ten Steps for an Effective Mentoring Program

Author(s)

Mary C. Clement

Mary C. Clement has been researching the hiring of new teachers for over twenty years, and received the 2013 Star Award from the American Association for Employment in Education for her writing in the field of k-12 teacher hiring. A professor of teacher education at Berry College, north of Atlanta, GA, she also directs the college’s Center for Teaching Excellence. Clement’s other books include The Definitive Guide to Getting a Teaching Job, Get a Teaching Job NOW, First Time in the High School Classroom, and The Induction Connection. Her articles have appeared in the Kappan, Principal, Principal Leadership, the American School Board Journal, the Clearinghouse, and Kappa Delta Pi’s Record. She has presented at ASCD, NAESP, Phi Delta Kappa, and Kappa Delta Pi conferences, as well as internationally in China and Namibia. She was the 2012-2014 international president of Kappa Delta Pi. Clement received her doctorate from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and taught high school Spanish and French before her career in higher education.

Table of Contents

Preface

How to Use this Book

Step 1 - The Need for Best Practice in Hiring

What Does the Teacher Job Market Look Like?

Deliberate Best Practice

Step 2 - Creating a Blueprint for Hiring

A Hiring Philosophy

A Calendar for the Hiring Process

Emphasizing the High-Needs Subject Areas

Step 3 - Recruiting and Advertising

Where to Recruit

Technology and Hiring

The Job Ad

Advertising is Recruiting

Step 4 - Determining and Training Those Who Hire

The Use of Teachers in the Hiring Process

Support Staff Training

Step 5 - Candidate Applications and Paperwork

What Cover Letters and Recommendations Reveal

Evaluation of Resumes

District Applications

The Portfolio

Step 6 - Using Behavior-Based Interviewing

Prohibited Questions

Evaluation of Candidates' Answers

Rubrics

One More Idea -Start with the End in Mind

Step 7 - Planning Effective Preliminary Interviews

Job Fairs

Telephone and Online Preliminary Interviews

Step 8 - On-site Interviews

Planning for the Interviews

Observation of Candidates' Teaching

What to Learn from Candidates' Portfolios

Evaluation of Candidates' Personal Qualities

Step 9 - Decisions and Negotiations

Making Data-Informed Decisions

Decision Announcements

Step 10 - Reviewing the Keys for Success

New Teacher Induction: An Important Next Step

Planning an Induction Program

An Effective Mentoring Program

Appendices

1 - Checklist for the Job Advertisement

2 - Survey of Recent New Hires

3 - Template for Soliciting Teachers for the Hiring Process

4 - Outline for Training all Involved in the Hiring Process

5 - Role-plays and Discussion Questions for Training

6 - Template for Cover Letter and Resume Evaluation

7 - Prohibited Questions

8 - Preliminary Interview Questions

9 - 18 - On-site Interview Questions by Grade and Subject Areas

19 - New Teacher Orientation and Induction Workshops

20 - Ten Steps for an Effective Mentoring Program

References

Reviews

"In my career as an administrator I have not seen such a thorough or comprehensive work on the hiring process. I never thought of the process as a year-round process until the author posed it that way, but it helps place the hiring procedure in a better light in course of our annual work.
This book brings to light several processes, such as Behavior-Based Interviewing (BBI), that I will definitely be including in future interviews. I will ensure participants on future interview teams read this book in order to fully understand the integrity and the importance of the interview process. This book is clear, thorough, timely and well done."

Marc Simmons, Principal
Ilwaco Middle School, Ilwaco, WA

"Behavior based interviewing is the norm in the private sector, and is the best way to hire qualified people who are going to move your team in the direction you want and engage your learners in the content. This book brings that process of behavior based interviewing to the classroom, and helps you find those top people who are going to help move your department into the future."

Glenn Waddell, Math Department Chair
North Valleys High School, Reno, NV

"They say hiring a teacher is a multi-million dollar decision. 10 Steps for Hiring Effective Teachers will help you to create or refine your district’s process of hiring teachers. When a multi-million dollar decision is being made you want the best process for obtaining the best teachers that you can. 10 Steps for Hiring Effective Teachers will put you on that path."

L. Robert Furman, Elementary Principal
South Park School District, South Park, PA

"Starting with the opening pages Mary Clement provides the reader with succinct, research-based targeted information on good hiring policy and practice. Her emphasis on behavior-based interviewing and involvement of other school stakeholders is well taken. The appendixes provide excellent tools to assist interview teams in identifying the strongest candidates. This book is a valuable tool in identifying the best teacher applicants."

Lloyd Goldsmith, Professor and Program Director
Department of Graduate Studies in Education, Abilene Christian University

"Mary has intimate knowledge of the realities of the hiring process in schools and her suggestions for improvement are rooted in these facts. Dr. Clement provides practical, useful direction for school districts seeking to improve their hiring processes. This book will serve as a valuable guide for districts seeking to improve their hiring processes through the implementation of practical solutions. Dr. Clement has identified a need in the school community with this book, and she has filled the void with practical, useful solutions. The need for the book is long overdue. Mary provides sound advice about the hiring process, as well as detailed directions for improvement."

Tim Neubert, Board President, Illinois Association for Employment in Education
Human Resources Administrator, Oswego, IL

Other Titles in: Teacher Induction | Staff Supervision / Evaluation / Retention

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