Education

Giving Candidates Peer Perspective

By Anthony Rebora — September 29, 2005 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

Schools should give teacher candidates more opportunities to meet and work with current teachers during the hiring process, suggests a recent survey report looking at teacher-retention issues in Boston.

The report, prepared by the Boston Plan for Excellence in Public Schools, surveyed first-year teachers in Boston on their hiring and teaching experiences.

When asked how the hiring process could have better prepared them for their jobs, the teachers in Boston predominantly cited the need for greater interaction with potential colleagues and the day-to-day life of the school.

“Respondents identified wanting to spend more time in a school while in session, participating in classroom observations, shadowing teachers, and sitting in on meetings,” the report says. Such experiences can help teachers “better align expectations with reality” and give them a more well-rounded view of the school.

Similarly, ninety percent of the teachers surveyed cited training from colleagues as the most valuable form of training they received during their first years.

Among the greatest difficulties faced by the teachers, according to the report, were insufficient communication and support from school leaders and lack of clarity about the norms and expectations of the school.

To combat those problems, the report’s authors recommend that principals in Boston be evaluated on their ability to provide helpful feedback and support to teachers.

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Assessment Webinar
Reimagining Grading in K-12 Schools: A Conversation on the Value of Standards-Based Grading
Hear from K-12 educational leaders and explore standards-based grading benefits and implementation strategies and challenges
Content provided by Otus
Reading & Literacy Webinar How Background Knowledge Fits Into the ‘Science of Reading’ 
Join our webinar to learn research-backed strategies for enhancing reading comprehension and building cultural responsiveness in the classroom.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Assessment Webinar
Innovative Strategies for Data & Assessments
Join our webinar to learn strategies for actionable instruction using assessment & analysis.
Content provided by Edulastic

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Education Quiz Quiz: Test Your Knowledge of Trending Education News
How well do you know the trending news in education? Test your knowledge by taking our quiz.
Education Briefly Stated: March 15, 2023
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
8 min read
Education Briefly Stated: March 8, 2023
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
8 min read
Education Briefly Stated: February 22, 2023
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
9 min read