10 Steps for Hiring Effective Teachers

by Mary C. Clement

Overview

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

Whether you are new to teacher hiring or ready 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 hiring, from recruitment through interviewing to final negotiations
• Key techniques and sample questions for Behavior-Based Interviewing—the interviewing approach that predicts on-the-job performance
• Guidance on legally-sensitive interview questions
• How to involve teacher peers in interviewing and mentoring new hires

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781483380186
Publisher:	SAGE Publications
Publication date:	01/22/2015
Edition description:	First Edition
Pages:	128
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.80(h) x 0.40(d)

About the Author

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

Editorial 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

"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

"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

"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

"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