Recruitment & Hiring
Learn more about efforts to attract school and district staff and choose the best candidate for the job
The State of Teaching
New national data on the teaching profession, vivid reporting from classrooms, and resources to help support this essential profession.
Job Hunting Tips & Advice
Opinion
8 Ways Talent Managers Can Support Volunteer-Service
In my last post, I shared results from the UnitedHealth report, Doing Good is Good For You: 2013 Health and Volunteering Study, which revealed some important connections between volunteerism and personal and professional success. Volunteerism can also be a powerful tool for K-12 Talent Managers in selecting, developing, and retaining staff. Based on my experience as an HR professional and leader of a nonprofit organization for more than 20 years, here are eight ways talent managers can use volunteer-service to strengthen their organizations.
Recruitment & Retention
Opinion
New Report Examines Direction of K-12 Leadership
Today, the nonprofit Education Pioneers released The Invisible Lever: A Profile of Leadership and Management Talent in Education, an analysis of the current state of leadership in K-12 public education. The report offers three major findings developed using survey responses from more than 1,300 alumni of the organization's Graduate and Analyst Fellowship programs, as well as other data and research from across the country. Education Pioneers' fellowship programs recruit law, policy, education, and business graduate students for internships working with school district staff on special projects, performing academic, financial, human capital, or operational data analysis, and more.
Recruitment & Retention
Opinion
Engagement Critical To Retaining Top Performers
Retaining the best and brightest employees is critical to the success of any organization. A recent article from Compdata Consulting, "Engaging Your All-Stars: How Successful Companies Retain Their Top Performers," explains that a key to keeping top performers, or "All-Stars," is increasing employee engagement and developing programs that make it easier for employees to be successful. They identify high performers as:
Law & Courts
Opinion
When Can An Internship Go Unpaid?
As a follow-up to my post, Court Decisions Challenge Legality of Unpaid Internships, here is a bit of information for those interested on what qualifies as an internship and what doesn't.
Law & Courts
Opinion
Court Decisions Challenge Legality of Unpaid Internships
It's not unusual for college students to pursue an unpaid internship to build experience in hopes of gaining a fulltime position upon graduation. In fact, Intern Bridge, a research firm, estimates that more than 500,000 undergraduate students participate in unpaid internships yearly.
School & District Management
Opinion
Centralized or Decentralized? That is the Question.
I often get asked by school district leaders and other friends in HR to explain the difference between centralized and decentralized organizations and which structure works best. While it is easy to distinguish the characteristics of each type of organization, neither approach is necessarily better than the other. It depends on the life cycle stage, leadership, and strategy of the organization.
Recruitment & Retention
Opinion
Nominate An HR Game Changer!
Know someone under the age of 40, who serves others and is accomplished in human resources, talent management, or any workforce-related skill? If so, Workforce magazine is holding a Game Changers competition to honor the next generation of workplace leaders who are making their mark in the field of Human Resources. The magazine explains, "as the best and brightest young talent in workforce management emerges, we want to recognize the profession's innovative rising stars for their positive impact on the past, present and future."
School & District Management
Top Jobs Opening Up in Nation's School Districts
At least 17 well-known districts are facing superintendent vacancies, and the turnover may bring big changes in some school systems.
School & District Management
Opinion
We Need a New Approach to Principal Selection
Meaningful educational change can only happen through effective and visionary leadership, write Ronald J. Bonnstetter and Bill J. Bonnstetter.
Recruitment & Retention
Opinion
Honoring Teachers: More Stories of Thanks
As a continuation of my blog yesterday, here are several more stories from colleagues and friends about educators who have made a difference in the lives of their students. While we make a special point to honor teachers this week, these stories are a reminder that just as great educators work for their students every day, teachers deserve our thanks year around.
Recruitment & Retention
Opinion
Honoring Teachers Who Made A Difference: Stories Of Thanks
In recognition of Teacher Appreciation Week and the outstanding service of millions of educators across the country, I asked several of my colleagues to provide stories about a teacher or teachers who made a difference in their lives. You will see that the stories below are a fun, positive, and refreshing reminder of the impact a great educator can have on many lives! I will share these first-hand accounts in two blogs this week. I invite you to share your own stories in the comments section below!
School Climate & Safety
Opinion
Celebrate Teaching with Random Acts of Appreciation
As we all know, giving thanks to others is a best practice of talent managers in high performing organizations. Employee recognition can be a formal or informal practice. What some might not know is that appreciation is a fundamental psychological need. Studies show that when individuals feel that they, as well as their work, are appreciated, productivity, engagement, satisfaction, and loyalty increase. Recognition could be a certificate, thank-you note, public announcement, direct or indirect compensation, or even a kind word. Yes, it can be that easy!
Recruitment & Retention
Opinion
Gender Gaps in STEM-Related CTE Programs
When I was a little girl my mom and dad always told me I could be anything I wanted to be if I worked hard to get there; a scientist, writer, doctor, mathematician, professor, etc. I luckily grew-up in a home where my gender never predicted my future. And as an engineer, my mom made sure I knew that math (and/or science) wasn't "just for boys." She would often talk about her high school algebra and calculus teacher, Sherman Blagg, who in the small Appalachian town of Ironton, Ohio, in the late 60's taught math to everyone in the room, holding high expectations for not just the boys, but for the girls too.
Recruitment & Retention
Opinion
Advice to TFA From a Former Insider
Teach For America has many good points, but it could do more to help its corps members, Lauren Blair Aronson writes.