Fast-Track Teacher Recruitment - human resource administration in successful hiring and retention of teachers

School Administrator, Jan, 2001 by Franklin Dean Grant

* Virtual promotional brochures.

These are laser disks--rectangular in shape and rounded on the ends-that contain audio and video data about a school district's community features, instructional programs and employment opportunities. The program on the disk concludes by connecting the viewer's computer to the school district's Internet home page and on-line job application.

The virtual brochures, first developed by the Grapevine-Colleyville Independent School District in Grapevine, Texas, are distributed to job applicants at college visitations, job fairs and at every recruitment opportunity. The laser disk was the inspiration of Louise Henry, the district's director of development and community relations. Deer Valley Unified School District in Phoenix, Ariz., also uses one for teacher recruitment.

* Reading machines for data input.

These devices, similar to scanners, convert printed or typed numbers and letters printed on forms into alpha-numerical characters using intelligent character recognition. The reading machines also automatically encode the documents in the manner prescribed by the user. The paper application (if still in use) and all forms required of applicants can be processed into the new job applicants' electronic portfolios.

* Teacher job application databases.

School districts can search teacher candidate databases to obtain completed applications. The American Association for Employment in Education may have developed the first multistate database for linking teacher job applicants with school districts that have job vacancy listings. The AAEE site (www.aaee.org) has been operating for eight years. The trade publication Education Week plans to launch a teacher recruitment site.

A more advanced teacher job application database recently was developed by California State University. It can be accessed at www.CalTeach.com. The CalTeach electronic application portfolio even includes audio and video clips, and the system can instantly translate written data into several different languages. Several state education agencies, including Delaware (www. teachdelaware.com) and Georgia (www.teachgeorgia.org), also operate teacher application databases.

In August, the U.S. Department of Education and Recruiting New Teachers, based in Belmont, Mass., launched the National Teacher Recruitment Clearinghouse (www.recruitingteachers.org)for use by applicants and school districts with teacher vacancies. At this site, users can link to dozens of other teacher job application databases, providing access to thousands of teacher applicants. Many school districts assign staff members to search what are now estimated to be more than 21,000 teacher job applicant databases on the Internet.

* Electronic fingerprint scans.

The National Child Protection Act of 1993, a federal law, permits public school systems to access the FBI criminal records for background checks. Some states have passed legislation permitting districts to access state criminal records, as well. Electronic live-scan fingerprinting machines enable school personnel offices to handle this duty efficiently.