Jefferson County Public Schools developed a survey instrument to learn from the applicant's perspective what new teachers had experienced during the hiring process and what they thought of the district's recruiting efforts. The goal was to determine the strong and weak points of the district's program and develop suggestions for improvement. (MLF)

School districts seeking an architect should know what they want, open up the selection process, decide on the importance of prior school-design experience, require a screening procedure with a standardized questionnaire, meet the project manager, make site visits, and probe deeply before signing contracts. (MLH)

To encourage women and minorities to seek administrative positions, boards should balance committees that screen and interview by gender, race, and ethnicity. Success depends on offering desirable, full-time paid internships, and mentoring opportunities paying realistic salaries and benefits; downplaying extraneous expectations; and showing…

Despite its shortcomings, the interview remains the most direct screening tool available to board members seeking a new superintendent. Interviewers should not use the interview to evaluate competency nor should they confuse glibness with competency or be rigid about time. Boards should conduct only one interview daily and allow opportunities for…

A ranking of states, districts, or schools by test scores shows the powerful influence of student selectivity and poverty. High poverty levels are directly associated with low test scores, and vice versa. (MLF)

When selecting superintendents, school boards should not dismiss educational administration professors as ivory-tower academics who cannot function in real world. Many educational administration professors have already proved themselves as administrators and practice what they preach. They are seldom "overqualified" or devoted to theory over…

For search consultants, the question is not whether school boards would choose university professors to fill vacant superintendencies but whether professors really want to leave academe. The key appears to be balance. For people moving in and out of academe, a university background can be a plus; lack of school management experience is a…

In summer 1999, a group of Park City, Utah, school administrators, personnel directors, human-resource specialists, and substitute teacher coordinators brainstormed on improving the recruitment, training, and retention of substitute teachers. Providing effective preservice and on-the-job training and professional recognition are key suggestions.…

Public educators must exercise reasonable care in screening prospective employees. The best way to avoid harm to students (and negligent lawsuits) is to check references carefully to determine a candidate's fitness. This means verifying basic data and scrutinizing past job performance by contacting references familiar with the candidate's work…

Through a partnership between the school district and business and industry in Prince George County (MD) a new teacher recruitment program was developed that is one of the most successful in the country. (MD)

When 34 Indiana school-board presidents were surveyed regarding their districts' superintendent hiring processes, most were not impressed with candidate quality. Applicants' top weaknesses included insufficient administrative experience, limited communication skills, and inadequate knowledge of school finance. Internal candidates are scarce, and…