In this E-Book by Informed K12, you'll learn best practices for improving hiring practices in order to overcome teacher shortages in your school or district. Topics covered include: The effects of late teacher hiring on student outcomes How to avoid late teacher hiring Solutions for improving teacher hiring

1. e-Book
Fix your teacher
shortage
How to make hiring practices more efficient and
reduce teacher shortages
Explore some of the alarming trends school districts face when it comes
to hiring and retaining teachers. Understand the impacts of late and
inefficient hiring on student outcomes and district performance.

2. Introduction
● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
Teacher
shortages
SECTION
1

3. In 2015, The Washington Post reported on federal
data that found 17 percent of teachers do not stay
beyond four years in the public school system. Richard
Ingersoll, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania,
thinks even this figure is too low, and estimates
between 40 and 50 percent of both private and public
school teachers leave after five years in the
profession.
The teaching profession’s high rates of attrition can be
attributable to several factors. For instance, educator
Alice Trosclair wrote in the Post article that teachers
often face curriculum changes, varying student
abilities and combative student attitudes, difficult
parents, lack of respect in the classroom, excessive
paperwork and funding uncertainty, adding stress and
challenges to an already hard job. The Center for
Public Education, in its
Each year, the teaching profession loses
hundreds of thousands of members.
17%
of teachers leave
after four years
teaching
40%
of teachers leave
after five years
teaching
3

4. white paper “Fixing the Holes in the Teacher Pipeline:
An Overview of Teacher Shortages,” also cites low pay
as another reason why many teachers do not stay in
the profession.
Recent data has added another layer of complexity to
the systemic problems that contribute to teacher
shortages. A new study has concluded that late teacher
hiring, or the practice of bringing a new teacher into a
school well after the year has already begun,
diminishes student achievement and teacher retention.
Administrators can improve their hiring practices to
introduce more efficiency and halt the late-hiring cycle
that contributes to teacher shortages. Principals who
support teachers who come late to the classroom
might keep those instructors around for another year,
improving the classroom environment and reducing
some challenges teachers and students face.
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NEXT UP, SECTION 2
The late hiring phenomenon
Teachers often face
curriculum changes,
varying student
abilities and
combative student
attitudes, difficult
parents, lack of
respect in the
classroom, excessive
paperwork and
funding uncertainty...”
Alice Trosclair, Educator
Writing for the Washington Post
4

5. Background
● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
The late hiring
phenomenon
SECTION
2

6. 18%
of districts teachers
hired after school
year’s start
The resulting paper, entitled “The Productivity Costs of
Inefficient Hiring Practices: Evidence From Late
Teacher Hiring,” looked at data from a large urban
school district over two academic years, 1999-2000
and 2009-2010, using data from 4,000 teachers and
300,000 student year records. The district itself has
9,000 teachers and 130,000 students.
Eighteen percent of the district’s teachers were hired
after the start of the school year, while more than half
of those late-hires did not start teaching until October.
The results of such a phenomenon are predictable:
this disruptive method of hiring new teachers impacts
academic performance. Kraft and Papay’s data backs
up that assumption.
Students taught by late-hires had reduced
achievement compared to those taught by on-time
hires, by 0.042 SD in mathematics and 0.026 SD in
reading. The difference in student performance was
The negative effects of late hiring were
studied by John P. Papay and Matthew Kraft,
researchers at Brown University.
6

7. evident in mathematics even after the new hires had at
least one year experience in the classroom. Kraft and
Papay attributed this difference to the small pool of
teachers qualified for positions in mathematics, science
and special education.
Between 11 and 30 percent of new teacher hires
happen after the school year has already begun,
according to a 2015 paper by Kraft and Papay. The
problem is significantly worse in urban and low-income
districts, which bring on late-hires at a rate twice that of
suburban schools.
Adding to the problem, teachers newly employed in
challenging districts will often plan to leave. Among the
poor working conditions cited by Kraft and Papay are
unsupportive principles or ineffective colleagues.
Although the Brown University researchers published
their study only recently, late hiring is a well-known
issue. Past studies have shown that late-hiring is often
concentrated in certain schools. In 2011, researchers
from Northwestern University and Michigan State
University found evidence of concentration of the
late-hiring phenomenon in some Michigan schools.
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NEXT UP, SECTION 3
The effects of late hiring
7

8. Impact
● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
The effects of late
hiring
SECTION
3

9. The Brown University study concluded that late-hires had a
measurable impact on student outcomes. Compared to
those taught by on-time hires, students of late hires had
lower test scores in mathematics and English. The study
authors said the difference in student achievement scores
amounted to two months of lost instruction.
Notably, late hiring continued to affect student test scores
in mathematics when instructors were in their first year of
teaching, but not in English. In other words, late-hires who
continue to teach mathematics after their first year in the
profession will continue to underperform students
compared to on-time hires.
While late-hires in English underperform compared to
on-time hires during their first year, beyond their first year
teaching, late-hires perform relatively equally to on-time
hires. The authors asserted that finding is consistent with
the fact that there is an undersupply of mathematics
teachers compared to reading, and the late hired
mathematics teachers were generally less effective
educators.
The effects of late hiring
01. Reduced student achievement
The students of late
hires had lower test
scores in both
Mathematics and
English. And, the
difference in student
achievement scores
amounted to two
months of lost
instruction.
9

10. Most schools that hire teachers late do so because of a
number of factors. Year after year, the problem worsens,
with existing issues in school hiring creating a perpetual
cycle of late-hires. While students often suffer from the
disruption of having a new teacher mid-session, those
instructors are themselves placed in a difficult position that
makes it hard to succeed.
Late-hires typically come from a smaller pool of candidates
than those brought on in the spring or summer. Newer
teachers and those with fewer specific qualifications are
less competitive and have less seniority than their
colleagues. Late-hires are therefore often a poor match for
the school.
Since late hiring is an over-represented phenomenon in
large urban schools — 20 percent of all hires in 2012
according to data referenced by the Brown University
study — teachers are placed in a challenging teaching
environment. Beginning later in the year puts these
teachers at a significant disadvantage.
The effects of late hiring
02. Smaller labor pool
While students often
suffer from the
disruption of having a
new teacher
mid-session, those
instructors are
themselves placed in
a difficult position
that makes it hard to
succeed.
10
20%
of all hires were late
hires in 2012, according
to Brown U. study

11. They may already have a novice skill set and are further left
behind by missing out on pre-service induction programs
that could provide them with support before the year
begins.
While these kinds of training courses vary significantly
across geographic districts, they can include teaching
methodologies and introductions to the unique challenges
of a particular school before entering the classroom.
Professor Linda Darling-Hammond of Stanford University
summarized the problem by isolating four specific points:
• Those with the least training teach children with the
most educational challenges.
• Teachers who instruct the most challenging
students earn the lowest salaries.
• Poor communities suffer from a lack of materials
and class sizes that can be double that of rich
neighborhoods.
• Teachers in challenging working environments get
little to no mentoring or coaching
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NEXT UP, SECTION 3
The effects of late hiring
11

12. Facing the numerous problems of being a late-hire,
including poor training, difficult teaching conditions and a
poor skill match, these educators often leave the school at
the end of the year.
Due to this continuing attrition, schools again will have to
fill gaps in their faculty.
As a result, they often find themselves the next year in the
same position of playing catch-up to place teachers in
classrooms, often well after the school year has begun.
Late-hires do not just leave in order to transfer to a more
desirable district or school. Teachers often abandon the
profession altogether, choosing to start different careers or
use their educational training in a different capacity.
While movement is expected among all members of the
teaching profession, it seems to be particularly prevalent
for teachers who are hired late.
The effects of late hiring
03. Late hires leave at higher rate
12
Late-hires do not just
leave in order to
transfer to a more
desirable district or
school. Teachers
often abandon the
profession altogether,
choosing to start
different careers or
use their educational
training in a different
capacity.

13. This was confirmed by the statistics of the Michigan study.
That report used data for the five-year period between the
school years of 2003-2004 to 2007-2008. It found that 6.8
percent of on-time hires left teaching compared to 14.2
percent of late-hires.
Nearly double the number of late hires left to go to another
school within the state as remained, with 22.5 percent
switching to another Michigan school compared to 13.4
percent of on-time hires.
13
6.8%
of on-time hires leave
their position
14.2%
of late hires leave their
position

14. It is perhaps unsurprising that teachers hired late do not
make a long term commitment to their schools, nor are
they necessarily encouraged to do so because of the
process or the working environment they receive. Richard
Ingersoll, an education and sociology professor at the
University of Pennsylvania, told TakePart that improving
teacher retention could resolve a lot of the issues related
to late-hires, simply because there would be fewer slots to
fill in September.
Interestingly, the Michigan researchers found that late
hiring was a strong predictor that a teacher will leave a
school. Only part-time teaching was statistically less
significant. The phenomenon seemed to cut across wealthy
and poor districts in Michigan, as the study discovered
even those who were a late-hire in a theoretically desirable
school were likely to leave the school or the profession.
Overall, teacher turnover is not only administratively
inefficient and detrimental to student education; it also
costs the educational system real dollars that could
otherwise be spent on retaining and supporting teachers.
The effects of late hiring
04. High teacher turnover
14
Teacher turnover is
not only
administratively
inefficient and
detrimental to
student education; it
also costs the
education system
real dollars that could
otherwise be spent
on retaining and
supporting teachers..

15. Stanford University professor Linda Darling-Hammond
estimated that teacher attrition costs $15,000 per recruit, or
$2 billion annually, although the data varied according to
the cost model used.
A 2014 report by the Carnegie Foundation for the
Advancement of Teaching, “Beginners in the Classroom,”
published earlier data from the National Commission on
Teaching and America’s Future that estimated attrition cost
per teacher departure to range from $4,366 in Jemtvez
Valley, New Mexico, to $17,872 in Chicago, Illinois, with
reference to four specific districts. The data is merely an
example of the potentially high financial cost of turnover.
The paper was quick to point out, however, that turnover is
not always a bad thing, as ineffective teachers who do not
necessarily aid student outcomes will leave the profession.
Administrators, in addition, simply expect turnover as par
for the course.
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NEXT UP, SECTION 4
Reasons for late hires
1515
$15,000
Cost of teacher attrition
per recruit
$2 bil.
cost of teacher attrition
nationally

16. Causes
● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
Reasons for late
hires
SECTION
4

17. Past researchers have taken a close look at the practice of
late hiring. In 2003, The New Teacher Project published a
report called “Missed Opportunities: How We Keep
High-Quality Teachers Out of Urban Classrooms,” that
identified several contributing factors to the phenomenon.
Gaps in the hiring process at the school and district levels
created barriers to successful recruitment, preventing
qualified candidates from coming to the attention of hiring
principals.
Although it was not the case across all districts, the 2003
report found evidence of bureaucracies that led to teacher
frustration with the hiring process. Some areas did not
take steps to advertise vacancies. Deadlines for candidates
and formal application processes in some cases did not
exist. Teachers who were able to become part of a hiring
process sometimes suffered from poor communications
with school HR staff, who were either uncommunicative or
unprofessional.
Overall, the bumpy road to getting hired was enough for
some teachers to withdraw their candidacies. Information
gaps do not just contribute to the late-hiring issue.
Reasons for late hires
01. Inefficient hiring practices
17

18. They also pose a greater problem for overall teacher
retention. In September, 2016, the Learning Policy Institute
published a paper entitled “Solving the Teacher Shortage:
How to Attract and Retain Excellent Educators.” The study
found that poorly executed hiring processes were a large
factor in the choices teachers make for the schools they
enter and choose to leave. Therefore, weak hiring had
potentially broader effects than merely bringing in
unsuitable candidates or discouraging strong teachers.
Once in the school, problems with hiring could influence a
teacher’s decision about whether or not to stay.
According to LPI, outdated technology and a diminished
capacity to provide information about the hiring process
proved to be a significant barrier. In addition, time
constraints meant there was little opportunity for candidate
demonstration lessons. Inefficient hiring is a problem that
has large spillover effects for the entire teaching community
of a school and administrators who must support and guide
them for the sake of student learning.
Importantly, teachers may view schools with inefficient
administrative procedures as unsupportive working
environments. For this reason, qualified educators will not
forward their credentials even when they know vacancies
are available. A May 2010 article in Educational Leadership
surveyed a small sample of new urban teachers, who cited
the support of their administrators as essential to making
their time in the profession a positive one. The necessity
and desirability of principal and administrator support for
teachers at all stages of their careers is a repeated theme
through much of the research on recruitment and
retention.
1818

19. Because of a number of factors, including poor working
conditions, urban school districts where late hiring is most
pronounced are undesirable for teachers. For that reason,
many new hires do not stay at urban schools beyond their
initial contract.
There tends to be an overabundance of vacancies at the
start of the school year, once enrollment figures and
budgets are finalized. However, the challenge of matching
up teachers, old and new, with available positions in time
for an incoming class is exacerbated by the fact that
teachers with more seniority are often given first choice.
This may be standard practice in most labor markets, but
the annual shuffle of faculty and positions can add another
complication to the existing problem of delayed hiring.
Teachers within districts have greater transfer options than
those coming in from outside. However, the lengthy
transfer process can significantly delay the timeline for
bringing on new personnel.
Reasons for late hires
02. Teacher transfer options
19
There tends to be an
overabundance of
vacancies at the start
of the school year,
once enrollment
figures and budgets
are finalized.

20. According to the 2003 report, the process can last until late
summer, leaving the ultimate number of vacancies a
mystery until it is completed. That report also noted that
the lack of notice requirements could further delay hiring
processes.
At the time of the study, most districts did not require
teachers to provide any notice before retiring or resigning.
2020

21. School budgets are determined by student enrollment.
Mobility of families and students is greatest in larger
districts, therefore final figures for student enrollment are
usually not established until the school year begins. Often,
schools and regions do not have adequate systems to
monitor, track and predict student movement in order to
come up with a reasonable estimate earlier. Not knowing
how many students will attend classes is a challenge for
districts, since budget figures are often strongly tied to
enrollment numbers.
While in a business or private context, administrators and
leaders might overestimate these figures and ensure an
oversupply of educators to meet demand, the reality is that
schools often struggle for adequate funds, and cannot risk
overspending.
Poorer districts, where the problem of late hiring is most
pronounced, are reluctant to overhire educational
personnel, waiting until the last minute to fill available
slots. In many cases, this leaves temporary personnel
teaching large classes or starting a course for a late hire to
pick up later in the semester.
Reasons for late hires
03. Unpredictable enrollment
21
Poorer districts,
where the problem of
late hiring is most
pronounced, are
reluctant to overhire
educational
personnel, waiting
until the last minute
to fill available slots.

22. According to the 2003 report, many state budget deadlines
are not until the end of June and may be adjusted at a later
time.
In a belt-tightening environment where public funds for
schools are often restricted or only modestly increased
year over year, administrators cannot begin their hiring
process until they receive confirmation of the amount of
money available for educational faculty.
It is not surprising, therefore, that late-hires account for a
greater percentage of teachers in poor districts. These
regions are more dependent on government funds at the
state and federal levels than are wealthier areas, limiting
the agency of administrators to make earlier, perhaps
more efficient, hiring decisions.
Reasons for late hires
04. Budget uncertainties
22

23. The 2016 paper by Kraft and Papay predict a greater need
for teachers as baby boomers retire. Teachers may choose
more desirable districts where the issue of late hiring is
less pronounced, such as suburban, wealthy areas.
Currently, hiring in poorer districts is often rushed,
occurring only after administrators receive final enrollment
numbers and approved budgets. The rushed process
includes little information for the incoming teacher about
the school and the school about the candidate, further
exacerbating the problem of finding quality teachers who
are a good match for the subject.
While there is, overall, an undersupply of qualified
teachers, STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering
and mathematics) are in most dire need.
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NEXT UP, SECTION 5
Solutions to late hires
Reasons for late hires
05. Recruitment difficulties
23

24. Solutions
● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
Solving late hires
SECTION
5

25. Teachers experience a number of challenges during their
first year of teaching and as they log time in the classroom.
The Carnegie report identified five key phases during a
typical teacher’s first year, during which their initial high
hopes are dashed by the reality of teaching.
On-time hires go from anticipation to survival and
disillusionment, then get back on an upward trajectory of
rejuvenation and reflection. This means that new teachers
who are hired late have to pick up a curriculum that was
started by a different instructor, in addition to going
through the normal ups and downs experienced by
first-year teachers even in the most supportive of
educational environments.
Making this transition easier on late-hires can make their
overall experience less discouraging. These educators may
choose to stay with the school or district with the proper
supports in place. Specifically, mentoring, continuity and
connections with parents can assist teachers. Other factors
that lead teachers at all levels to leave the profession may,
if rectified, help to keep valuable professionals in the field,
such as salaries and transferable benefits.
Solving late hires
01. Improve teacher retention
25

26. Mentoring
In the State of New York, teachers are classified by several
different types of certification. In order to advance and
avoid expiration of their initial certificate, instructors must
complete a formal program of mentoring. Teachers learn
from a mentor with at least five years of experience who
provides guidance on classroom instruction, planning, the
school environment and acts as an emotional support.
As the New York government briefing document on
mentoring makes clear, new teachers are often thrust into
the classroom with great pressure to impact achievement
while they are still learning on the job. They often do not
succeed: Brown University’s findings, although not
necessarily based on New York data, were that late-hires
who are also new teachers have a strong correlation with
reduced student outcomes.
Matthew Kraft, one of the Brown University study
researchers, said mentoring is one innovation schools can
implement without waiting for shifts in larger institutional
issues, such as collective agreements and political oversight.
In an interview with TakePart, Kraft recommended taking
steps to help teachers, including mentoring, continuity
supports and connections with families.
2626

27. The Center for Public Education white paper cited a 2015
report by The New Teacher Center that recommended
formal mentoring programs. The Center advised offering
mentors support during their relationships with new
teachers, and suggested a rigorous selection process for
mentors. Formal mentoring relationships, involving 1.25 to
2.5 hours of weekly interaction over the course of two
years, is promoted as a way to help new educators become
better teachers and stick with the profession over the
long-term.
Connections With Colleagues
Educational Leadership cited the personal experience of
new urban educators who either missed, or benefited from,
the feedback and observations of administrators and
teaching colleagues. The article recommended sharing
constructive notes for new teachers. An online discussion
group, email list and other technological tools that offered
another opportunity for interaction assists new educators
to develop their skills and find their footing in the
classroom. Linda Darling-Hammond made the case for
teacher communities back in 1999, in an article available on
Edutopia.
She reflected with favor upon educational training
programs for prospective teachers that included an
internship period in a school setting. Teachers who learn in
collaboration with other educators in this manner are more
effective in the classroom and, according to data cited by
Darling-Hammond going back as far as 1988, more likely to
stay in the profession.
2727

28. Classroom Norms
New hires starting as late as October are met with students
who have been instructed by a teacher with different lesson
plans and strategies for learning. Establishing uniform
pacing, teaching methodologies, testing and homework
planning across all classrooms can make it easier for new
hires to pick up where the last instructor left off. It also
places less of a burden on novice teachers who are still
learning how to develop student relationships and enhance
instruction in a real-life classroom.
Parent Connections
Parents are an essential component of a child’s educational
achievement. New teachers often have to learn the specific
skills related to communicating with student families in
order to support student outcomes. Providing resources for
new teachers and new additions to a school faculty
regarding family interactions are important in order to
maintain positive relationships. The National Center for
Family and Community Connections With Schools
recommended that staff, including teachers, learn how to
interact with people from diverse cultures in order to
enhance communication and prevent inadvertent
misunderstanding or disengagement.
2828

29. Salaries and Transferable Benefits
The authors of the LPI study identified many reasons why
teachers exit the profession, among them economic. While
most teachers may choose to become educators out of a
desire to teach, few may be aware of the dire economic
straits they may experience while training to enter the
classroom and later as their careers develop. Teacher
salaries are especially modest in low-income districts,
adding to an already stressful learning environment that is
lacking proper materials and supports for staff and
students.
According to a study cited by LPI, teachers in 30 states who
were midcareer and supporting families of four were
eligible for government subsidies, such as breaks on school
meals or subsidized health care for their own children. This
demonstrates that many teachers who choose to stick with
the job for the long-term are often not able to enter the
middle class, especially when they have to support others.
However, the Carnegie study cautions against overstating
the connection between salary and teacher retention.
Teachers found unrealistic expectations about student
achievement more frustrating than low salaries, and
according to a MetLife study cited by Carnegie, a large
majority would choose a school with strong support from
administrators over one that paid significantly more money
2929

30. While the effect of salary on teacher retention is therefore
complicated, economic factors can nonetheless indirectly
impact educator satisfaction. Because many teachers incur
debt in order to attend college, they are anxious to get into
the classroom as soon as possible to earn a salary. As a
result, according to the LPI study, many teachers seek
expedited routes to begin teaching.
This increases their earning capacity in the short-term, but it
has the effect of more teachers providing instruction
without full preparation. Teachers who begin their careers
without comprehensive training leave the profession at a
rate two to three times higher than those who are ready to
enter the classroom.
Many teachers also faced mobility barriers that hampered
their career advancement or stability in the profession.
Often, teachers had problems moving between states or
districts because reciprocity agreements for certification did
not exist.
Moving meant loss of seniority or retirement benefits, a
challenge that prevented teachers from choosing to reenter
the profession after they had already exited. In order to
resolve these issues and others, the LPI study
recommended a full slate of measures that would improve
teacher retention, such as financial aid and scholarship
programs, as well as support for teachers who are in the
classroom while still finishing their own training. Portability
of pensions and other benefits was also recommended.
3030

31. Despite the many issues with instructor quality, Kraft and
Papay conclude that the negative effects on student
achievement of late hiring can be largely resolved just by
moving up timelines. The simple fact of having a teacher
start on time with a group of students in order to prevent
midyear disruption can eliminate many inefficiencies. The
New Teacher Project recommends moving up hiring to May
1 in order to avoid the problems of a decreased pool of
available and qualified teachers.
According to The New Teacher Project, 40 percent of job
applicants withdraw their candidacy by the end of June,
with departures from the hiring processes beginning in
large numbers in May. The best-qualified candidates are
the first to leave for better jobs, including in districts that
hire by May. The Project acknowledges that many urban
districts have made a sincere attempt to move up hiring
timelines. To be more effective, its analysis recommended
a commitment to hiring 30 to 40 percent of new teachers
within the month of May. The expedited hiring timelines of
June or July simply do not have a measurable effect on the
problem of late-hires.
Solving late hires
02. Move up hiring timelines
31

32. Perhaps two of the most challenging issues for
administrators who plan to hire new teachers are knowing
how many students they will have and how much their
budgets will allow them to spend.
Often, state budgets come down the pike long after the
ideal timeline for hiring new teachers is well underway or
passed altogether. Since school populations are in
constant flux, correctly predicting enrollment would seem
to be a bit of a guessing game, hard to achieve with
certainty.
However, The New Teacher Project proposed that
movement could be made on both sides of these issues.
Pressure could be brought to bear on state representatives
and staff of budget offices to inform schools about
proposed budget changes as early as possible. Developing
relationships with those making the decisions at the state
level can prove invaluable for schools and districts that
want to create the best environment for their educators
and students.
Solving late hires
03. Finalize budget & enrollment figures early
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33. Additionally, school administrators can use resources to
predict enrollment figures. Instead of grasping for a
ballpark figure, the Project recommended starting as early
as October of the previous year to analyze historical and
current trends, using the services of a demographer if
necessary in order to make any accurate predictions of who
will enter the school’s doors the following fall.
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Solving late hires
04. Encourage school-level placements
Many schools who have moved up their hiring timelines
make employment offers for a district and not a specific
school. While this is perhaps more effective for the district,
as it allows them to make a commitment they can keep and
still move around teaching personnel where the need is
greatest, experienced teachers may not take the offer and
may even become suspicion about the process. Teachers
have often noted that the school-level environment,
including the individual principal, classroom resources and
administrative staff, are a large part of what makes a
placement desirable.
Without being able to assess the value of the job contract
with reference to the specific school, teachers may still be
reluctant to accept a placement or, if they do, will find
themselves unwilling to stay past one year. School-level
placements are more desirable even in challenging areas,
especially when presented in conjunction with mentoring,
support and adequate time over the summer to prepare for
the new class.

34. Part of the challenge for many schools is knowing how
many teachers, both late-hires and tenured faculty alike,
plan to stay on for another year. Without this information,
it is difficult to predict how many teachers will have to be
replaced in time for fall. To partly solve this challenge, The
New Teacher Project recommended mandating early
notice for teachers, preferably by March 15, in order to give
administrators ample opportunity to begin the hiring
process.
Notably, the Project insisted that disincentives to notices of
resignation or retirement must also be removed. Teachers
who anticipate the loss of benefits or limited access to
summer teaching opportunities as a result of early notice
should have measures in place to protect their interests.
The Project offered the example of one Midwestern
region’s successful implementation of notice policies. One
offered a $300 payment to teachers who gave notice by
November 1. The other had a contractual mandate for
receipt of notice by April 1. Both of these districts have
completed their fall hiring by March or May, well within the
preferred timelines of the Project.
Solving late hires
05. Early vacancy notifications
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35. Since most districts must consider internal transfers from
currently employed teachers before interviewing new
applicants, this system can significantly delay the hiring
process for the fall. In addition to early notice
requirements, expediting the transfer process and
considering both external and internal candidates at the
same time may be able to reduce the sluggish movement
of the hiring process.
● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
NEXT UP, SECTION 6
Where do we go from here?
Solving late hires
06. Expedite transfer process
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36. Conclusion
● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
Where do we go
from here?
SECTION
6

37. In some districts with particular challenges, it is difficult to
recruit and retain teachers whose own deficiencies are
compounded by a lack of support, misinformation, and
opportunities to gain solid footing in their profession.
While many of the challenges faced in teacher retention
are systemic and will take time, resources and shared
commitment to solve, there are a few key changes that
administrators at the school level can implement
immediately in order to help reduce the difficult issue of
late hiring and improve school productivity.
Administrators can work to improve hiring practices in
order to attract desirable candidates in the recruitment
process. Schools can start by upgrading technology and
implementing better communication strategies about
available positions and application procedures. Candidates
who know what jobs are available and their standing in the
application process are more likely to stick with that
process than if jobs are not advertised and candidate
application status is unknown.
Conclusion
Where do we go from here?
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38. Training human resources staff on effective communication
can create positive interactions that reflect well on the
school, making it a more attractive target for qualified
teachers. Sought-after candidates judge the school on their
communications throughout the recruitment process, as
they provide invaluable insight into the kind of support and
guidance teachers are likely to receive once in the
classroom.
Streamlining communications between administrators and
human resources staff is another important aspect of
positive recruitment. HR personnel themselves must be
armed with information to give to candidates.
Those who cannot provide insight about the selection
process inadvertently invoke frustration in candidates who
want to know what is occurring with a particular opening.
Late hiring is only one symptom of the problem of teacher
retention. At the same time, it may exacerbate the problem,
leaving students to pay the price through reduced
achievement. Simple steps at the school and administrative
levels can start to move the recruitment process in the right
direction, offering better support to learners and qualified
professionals hired to instruct them.
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