Review of Kansas Teacher Retention and Examining One Solution

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It is that time of the year that districts begin to examine hiring needs for the next school year and addressing positions that are open due to retirements or teachers leaving. This is also a good time to reflect on the retention practices that have occurred this year to assist and integrate early career teachers into your district. Much has been written about induction programs and mentoring in schools across the country. This presentation reviews the latest data on teacher retention in the state, as well as as examines what literature tells us about effective teacher retention programs. Much of the induction program information you will find here comes from renowned educational consultant Harry Wong, the author of "The First Days of School". If you would like more information on the induction programs and features discussed feel free to email me at kylie.stewart@greenbush.org.

Update on Kansas Recruitment and Retention Program

The Kansas Recruitment and Retention Program is continuing to move forward with recruitment and retention supports for districts and special education cooperatives across the state. To date 983 applications have been received for the 428 jobs posted since September. In December, 297 applications have already been submitted for open positions, reflecting an significant increase in job applications. November traffic was the best to date with 36,000 visitors, even with a slow down during the Thanksgiving break.

Beyond the recruitment program, attention has now been turned to the retention program and the early career educator learning portal. New learning modules are in the works, as well as resources specifically for administrators. The months of December and January will involve significant development time for "How to Guides for Administrators". This new section will focus on providing resources to schools and districts in the areas of:

• Induction/Orientation Programs
• Mentoring and Coaching
• Recruiting
• Working Conditions
• Establishing Learning Communities

Information will be available on each of these sections at the January United School Administrators (USA) Conference. You can also view these resources as they are developed by visiting the learning portal at http://moodle.greenbush.us/

Recruiting Teachers to Rural Kansas

Dr. Simmons, a professor at a rural university in Virginia, published an article in 2005 summarizing solutions found in literature related to recruiting teachers to rural areas. These solutions hold much promise for administrators in rural areas of Kansas as they begin to recruit for the 2008-2009 school year. Below are the main points that Dr. Simmons discusses in her article Recruiting Teachers for Rural Schools.

“Show rural like as it actually is”

• Safe school buildings
• Close knit communities
• Low cost of living

“Make the personal connection”

• Use a team approach to share information about the community and district with interviewees
• Provide testimonials from teachers, board members, and parents

“Make housing information available”

• Have a list of available houses for rent and sale
• Provide a list of Realtors with names, addresses, and phone numbers
• Have a Realtor available if the interviewee would like to look at potential properties

“Put salaries in perspective”

• Explain monetary benefits of living in a rural area
• Provide a cost analysis of food, housing, utilities, and insurance rates

Reference: Simmons, M.J. (2005) Recruiting Teachers for Rural Schools. Principal Leadership. (5)5, 48 - 52.