Teacher Hiring Process Update

Strategic Plan & Recruitment

The presentation focuses on teaching vacancies and recruitment efforts by the HR team. The recruitment strategy aligns with the district's strategic plan, particularly goal area three: Premier Workforce.

  • Goal Area 3: Develop a premier workforce by recruiting, retaining, and investing in personnel.
  • Recruitment is a year-long effort, starting with a "catch-all" ad on Frontline around Labor Day weekend to attract potential candidates.

Recruitment Timeline

  1. Labor Day Weekend: Open a catch-all ad on Frontline to attract potential teacher candidates for the following year (e.g., advertising for 2026-27 positions).

  2. September: Begin collecting applications from candidates interested in working in Monroe County.

  3. November: Start "Get to Know MCSD" sessions for candidates who applied for the catch-all teaching position.

    • These are Teams meetings where candidates can speak with an HR team member to learn about the Monroe County School District.

    • Topics include certification requirements and securing housing in Monroe County.

    • These meetings provide a proactive way to engage with applicants before the formal interview process.

      • New teacher orientation included unsolicited feedback that the meetings were very impactful.

  4. February: HR representatives meet one-on-one with principals at each school to discuss staffing needs.

    • By this point, the district has collected "intent to remain" data to understand potential openings based on who might not be returning.
    • This process helps to identify specific subject areas and grade levels where openings may exist.

  5. Legislative Session Impact:

    • The legislative session caused a pause in the hiring process.
    • As of June 18th, the district had hired roughly 30 teachers and aimed to hire another 30.

Hiring Data and Goals

  • As of June 18th, approximately 30 teachers have been hired with a goal to hire another 30.
  • The district aims to conduct more hiring in March to secure top talent before they commit to other districts.
    • Early hiring provides candidates with more time to find housing.
    • March is a less busy month for school leadership teams compared to May, which is filled with state testing, graduations, and end-of-year events, making early hiring more efficient.
  • A contingency letter has been developed with legal counsel to allow the district to rescind job offers if necessary due to economic factors or other causes.

Bus Driver Staffing

  • Efforts are underway to ensure sufficient bus drivers for the start of the school year.
  • Jason Thomason is working with the HR team to recruit and train drivers.
  • Current status by location:
    • Key West: 10 positions with no vacancies and two in training.
    • Sugarloaf: One vacancy with one person in training.
    • Marathon: One vacancy with no one in training.
    • Upper Keys: One vacancy with two in training.
  • Bus drivers can cover routes in different areas when there are shortages.

Historical Hiring Data

  • An analysis of teacher hiring from the 2006-07 school year to the present shows an average of approximately 100 teachers hired per year.
  • Over the past 19 years, the district has hired 1,889 teachers (188919≈99\frac{1889}{19} \approx 99).
  • The classroom teacher is the most important factor impacting student achievement.
  • Recruitment is a year-round effort.

Challenges in Teacher Recruitment

  • The talent pool of teachers has decreased significantly.
  • The district is competing with charter schools for the same pool of applicants.
  • Early hiring is crucial to secure the best talent.

Key West High School Vacancies

  • There is a concern about the high number of teacher vacancies at Key West High School.

  • Possible factors contributing to the vacancies include:

    • Delays in the legislative session.
    • Changes in school leadership, including the departure of the principal.
    • Timing issues, as the numbers may change as the hiring process progresses.

  • The number of vacancies (13) is notably higher than other schools.

  • Additional factors:

    • Some teachers indicated they were leaving contributing to the number.
    • Some teachers determined they were leaving, retiring, or moving to another position in the last 20 days.

  • Para turnover is linked to economic factors, with some paras moving out of town.

  • Coaching positions have opened up due to non-renewals and individuals taking on fewer roles.

  • A new freshman volleyball coach position has been created due to high interest in the sport.

Exit Form Analysis

  • Housing is a significant barrier to recruiting and retaining teachers.
  • There are now four high schools in Key West competing for teachers.
  • The Sugarloaf North positions tend to be filled quickly, with Key West schools finalized in June and July.
  • If teachers are leaving for charter schools, the district needs to understand why.

Retention Rates

  • Overall, teacher retention rates are in the mid-80s.
  • Focus is placed on what's happening at Key West High.

Applicant Pool

  • The district has had approximately 200 applicants throughout the district.

Additional Notes

  • Positions for the upcoming year will be posted in December.
  • Intent to remain data is collected to predict staffing needs, but retirement and other factors can be unpredictable.
  • Data is tracked through exit forms to analyze reasons for leaving.