Kansas Teaching Jobs: Recruitment and Retention Program

KEEB Revisions - Please Read for Important Instructions

2011-02-03T11:00:00.001-08:00

KEEB Employers –

The Kansas Education Employment Board is being revised and enhanced. New employer features include refined searching, emailing references, survey questions, and digital exports of applicants to name a few.

Our launch of the new website is set for March 1, 2011. You are not required to create a new KEEB account. Your information from the current version to the newest version will be transferred with one exception. We are unable to transfer current employer descriptions. Please login to your KEEB account between now and Monday, February 28^th, 2011 to copy, paste and save your employer descriptions.

Our other ask of you is to also have all job postings between now and then end by Monday, February 28^th, 2011 or before as job postings are non-transferrable as well. You will need to export all applicants for active postings prior to March 1, 2011. You can post positions to the new website on Tuesday, March 1, 2011 or anytime thereafter by visiting the same URL (http://www.kansasteachingjobs.com).

KEEB staff can be reached via email at support@kansasteachingjobs.com or by phone at 620-724-6281 or 913-638-0151. We are also creating training series material that will also be available on March 1, 2011. Much of KEEB will remain the same in overall design, but with improved ease of use. We appreciate your patience as we strive to implement features that will ease use of KEEB by both applicants and employers.

Podcasts

2010-08-27T09:50:00.000-07:00

If your school district, cooperative, inter-local, etc., has a recruitment podcast, KEEB would like to add it to your employer profile. Recruitment podcasts are another tool to aid in digital recruitment of education professionals. As written by Krishna De in her Human Resource News Blog, "developing a podcast to support you in your recruitment strategy not only brings life to the roles you are recruiting for in a meaningful way, it's also inexpensive which is an important consideration in these challenging economic times." If you are interested in creating a recruitment podcast, please contact KEEB staff by emailing support@kansasteachingjobs.com or via phone at 620-724-6281 or 913-638-0151.

Job Status

2010-07-07T10:17:00.000-07:00

To update the status of job postings, please utilize the following instructions:

1) Upon logging in to your account, you will see six blue boxes or tabs at the top of the screen.

2) Scroll down to the posting you wish to modify.

3) Scroll to the right to the Job Status box.

4) Select the status of your position. The options are:

a. Expired (the posting of the position has expired, meaning the date selected for applications to be accepted has passed).

b. Filled with KEEB (the position has been filled with an applicant from the KEEB site)

c. Filled (the position has been filled)

d. Open (the position remains open and applications are being accepted)

e. Pending (the position has been filled pending applicant acceptance and/or board approval)

5) Click OK in the pop up screen to confirm modification of the job status selection.

Please be sure to modify your positions accordingly, particularly if positions have been filled and you no longer wish to receive applications. The start date of the application cannot be modified, but the date of expiration can be changed. Positions that remain as EXPIRED will not appear as active in searches by potential applicants.

Please contact KEEB staff with questions concerning job status selections by emailing support@kansasteachingjobs.com or via phone at 620-724-6281 or 913-638-0151.

Status Selections

2010-05-17T12:02:00.000-07:00

Employers please make sure to change the status of your positions accordingly. If you wish to change the date that a position expires please follow the steps below or contact KEEB at julie.wilson@greenbush.org or 913-638-0151 and we will gladly walk you through the steps or complete the change for you.

a) Upon logging in, scroll to the desired posting

b) Click on the Pencil and Paper icon to the left of the posting

c) Scroll down to the expiration date of posting (the top of the page will read Update Job Position – Step One

d) Change date to desired expiration

e) Scroll to the bottom of the screen

f) Click Save and Continue to Step Two

g) Scroll to bottom of the screen (the top of the page will read Update Job Position (Contact Information - Step Three)

h) Click Save and Continue

i) Scroll to bottom of screen (the top of the page will read Confirm Job Position Information

j) Click Complete and Post Updates

KEEB at Work

2010-04-26T12:13:00.000-07:00

March through June are the busiest months for KEEB. A week in statistics (April 18-24) provides a glimpse of KEEB at work in recruiting teachers in Kansas.

41,386 Visits to KEEB

162,332 Views of the KEEB Home Page

44,897 KEEB Job Posting Searches

9,349 First Time Visitors to KEEB

32,037 Returning Visitors to KEEB

Please contact us with questions, comments, or concerns. Please email support@kansasteachingjobs.com with input and feedback.

Spring Cleaning

2010-01-08T12:54:00.001-08:00

In lieu of recent weather, spring cannot get here fast enough. With spring, also comes the busiest time for recruitment of teachers. Please take a moment now to review your KEEB account. Verify that your employer information is up to date and that links to your website are working. Also remove or add contacts that have access to your account. Be sure to update email addresses, phone numbers and titles. Lastly, update your job list by selecting the applicable code for the status of the position. We look forward to a new year of recruitment. Please contact KEEB at 620-724-6281 or julie.wilson@greenbush.org with any questions or concerns.

KU Career Fair - Related Article in Teacher Magazine

2009-11-16T14:30:00.000-08:00

Fall education career fairs were held across the state over the past two weeks, including an event at the University of Kansas. Below is a link to an AP article written about the event and featured in Teacher Magazine. Augusta's own John Black, Deputy Superintendent, is directly quoted in the article.

http://www.edweek.org/tm/articles/2009/11/13/teacherglut_ap.html?r=483703932

1st Year Teachers

2009-10-06T10:32:00.000-07:00

As the end of the first quarter approaches, give some thought to your first year teachers as they are nearing the disillusionment phase according to Moir, 1990. Dilemmas faced during the disillusionment phase include questioning commitment, being overwhelmed by back to school night, parent conferences, and initial evaluation as well as major distress over classroom management. Continue to offer support and encouragement over the coming weeks to your first year teachers during this critical time of development.

Volunteers

2009-09-21T11:59:00.001-07:00

Early career educators are needed to participate in our KEEP focus groups. Those interested in participating should contact KEEP at 620-724-6281 or via email julie.wilson@greenbush.org.

Early Career Teacher Support Portal

2009-09-21T11:57:00.000-07:00

KEEP

Kansas Early Career Teacher Support Portal

http://www.kansasteacherretention.com

We know that turnover + early attrition=a teacher shortage. The goal of KEEP is to increase the retention of early career teachers by providing support, resources, and online training to teachers. The KEEP Educator Learning Portal is a work in progress and will continue to be as content, courses, podcasts and checklists are uploaded and updated. The KEEP portal is hosted by Moodle and requires a username and password. When creating a new account, an email with registration instructions will be sent to the email address provided.

Recruitment Updates and Reminders

2009-09-21T11:50:00.000-07:00

KEEB will soon be undergoing minor changes to incorporate new and improved search methods. In the future applicants will be searchable by region and endorsement. New codes for job status updates will also be included. KEEB reminds account holders to update job status as positions are filled.

The Fall Statewide Virtual Recruitment Fair will be Tuesday, November 17th, 2009 from 5:00-7:00 p.m. To learn more about participating in a Kansas virtual career event visit the training page at www.kansasteachingjobs.com/page_add.cfm?PID=17. To register email support@kansasteachingjobs.com or call 620-724-6281 and request registration information.

Update on Current Openings

2009-03-23T07:28:00.000-07:00

The recruitment season is beginning to become busy as schools are advertising more positions online. KEEB is currently seeing an increase in online job postings as the end of the school year nears. So far, special education openings are the highest in Kansas with 117 current openings followed closely by elementary positions at 101. The table below identifies the number of openings across the state currently advertised on KEEB.

In addition to tracking openings by content area or position, we also frequently examine where the openings are occurring. Currently, the south central region of the state has the most openings at 176 followed by the northeast at 141 openings. The chart below identifies the number of openings in each region in the state.

Update on KEEB Statistics for Year-to-Date

2009-02-05T07:02:00.000-08:00

It is the time of the year that we at KEEB begin reflecting on the growth in KEEB and look to the future needs of the program for the next school year. In doing this review, we have compiled a number of key data that may be of interest to school and state personnel. Below is a slideshow detailing the years growth in visitors, applications, and jobs posted. Feel free to view the slideshow and contact us with any questions or suggestions you may have for improvement of KEEB.

Kansas Teaching Jobs 2009

View more presentations from blatchway. (tags: kansas teaching)

Upcoming KEEB Training Events

2009-01-26T07:47:00.000-08:00

Two training events on new KEEB features and a review of last year's updated features will be offered at the following locations and times. The training is coordinated by the Kansas Education Employment Board's lead programmer and offers a great opportunity to refresh yourself on KEEB features before the recruiting season hits. The training sessions will also include assistance with your employer profile and job advertisements to improve your overall recruiting effort.

January 29th @ Greenbush, Southeast Kansas Education Service Center, Girard, KS, 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
February 13th @ Greenbush, Forbes Field Office, Topeka, KS, 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

For more information email matt.blatchley@greenbush.org.

February Virtual Career Fair Announced

2009-01-19T09:47:00.001-08:00

The Kansas Recruitment and Retention Program will be hosting another virtual career fair February 26th from 5:00 - 7:00 p.m. in Second Life. The event is free for public schools and potential candidates for teaching and administrative positions. To register to participate email support@kansasteachingjobs.com or visit the Kansas Education Employment Board.

New Interview Scheduler Feature on KEEB

2008-11-03T11:55:00.000-08:00

The Kansas Education Employment Board (KEEB) is excited to announce a new feature coming to employers using KEEB to recruit educators. You will now be able to utilize an interview scheduler within KEEB to schedule interviews as you view applicant resumes. While searching applicant resumes you can request either a (1) in person interview or (2) phone interview. Below is an example of how you can schedule an in person interview.

The applicant then receives a notification via email and within their KEEB account that you have requested an interview and applicants can either accept, deny or reschedule. Once applicants have viewed and responded to the interview request, the employer's interview schedule will be updated. As an employer, you can view your current scheduled interviews and any interview requests by clicking on "Interview Schedules" on the main Employer Account page. If you make any changes to an interview's time or location KEEB automatically sends an email notifying the applicant of the change to seamlessly allow you to manage your interview schedule.

The interview scheduler will be available to all employers using KEEB later this fall.

Resource to Help Teachers Develop Relationships with Parents

2008-10-16T16:33:00.000-07:00

As the first quarter of the 2008-2009 school year nears its end, early career teachers may be encountering their first communication regarding report cards with parents. This is a great time for district and building administrators to provide resources and support related to parent communication. The Kansas Parent Information Resource Center (KPIRC) is one such resource that can be valuable to all teachers in Kansas. KPIRC is supported by federal funding under the No Child Left Behind Act and works closely with KSDE. There are a number of resources on the KPIRC website related to:

developing successful partnerships with parents
information for first year educators
informing parents on NCLB requirements
informing parents on state assessments and grade level expectations
special education rights and services
information on early childhood services
information for how parents can support academic learning at home

The New Teacher Welcome Packet offers a number of tips related to developing and fostering parent communication throughout the school year. Particular for this time of the year, it offers a number of great suggestions for conducting successful parent/teacher conferences. You can download the packet at http://www.kpirc.org/Downloads/NewTeacherWelcome.pdf.

2nd Annual Virtual Career Fair for Educators

2008-10-03T09:43:00.000-07:00

On November 10th the Kansas Recruitment and Retention Program will be hosting the 2nd Annual Virtual Career Fair for Educators in Second Life. This is a great opportunity to recruit highly qualified educators from the comfort of your office or home. During the 2007-2008 school year, the program hosted two successful career fairs in this new virtual world that allows districts to visit with potential candidates from all over the country. Second Life allows districts to share information with potential candidates, have voice conversations, and view candidate resumes. The event is free for all public school districts and cooperatives who utilize the Kansas Education Employment Board (KEEB). If you would like to register or have questions about the event please contact us at support@kansasteachingjobs.com. Your registration email should contain the contact information for district personnel participating (personnel must be identified ahead of time to receive appropriate training).

Celebrating a Year of Recruiting with KEEB

2008-09-19T07:15:00.000-07:00

This week marks 1 year since the state of Kansas launched the redesigned teacher recruitment initiative at www.kansasteachingjobs.com. The year has represented a renewed effort of recruiting in Kansas and many lessons have been learned to apply to the this year's recruitment practices.

Successes
The redesigned KEEB experienced a significant increase in traffic by both schools and potential educators in the last year. At the years end we have 98% of districts in the state utilizing the service and over 10,000 applicant profiles. From September 2007 to today we have had over 670,000 visits from Kansans and approximately 6,708,000 page views. In addition, 35% of the traffic on KEEB is generated from out-of-state visitors allowing districts in the state to recruit from a broad range of experienced educators. Although www.kansasteachingjobs.com represented a significant increase in traffic to school job postings, other efforts ensured that schools in the state of Kansas were represented in a range of online and virtual recruiting tools. KEEB now feeds jobs from the website to 4 different nationally recognized job boards ensuring that Kansas jobs reach potential candidates outside of our state lines. In addition, the use of new technology such as virtual recruiting events has put Kansas on the forefront of recruiting practices. It will be critical in the future that Kansas continues to utilize the latest and best technology to reach highly qualified educators.

Lessons Learned
While there were many successes through the year there were also a number of lessons learned to continue to improve the recruiting effort in the state. Thanks to great feedback from school district personnel and applicants we've identified a number of improvements that are currently in the process of being made. A few of those improvements include:

multiple security levels for employer accounts allowing various school personnel to access resumes and applicant information
interview scheduler to schedule interviews with applicants via email from KEEB
search for candidates by geographical area
additional help notes built into critical steps of the job posting process

In closing, a special thank you to the Kansas Department of Education's Special Education Team for their continued support of the Kansas Recruitment and Retention Program and to the key KEEB staff, Matt Blatchley, lead programmer, and Johnna McColm, support specialist.

Additional Resource for Job Postings

2008-09-04T11:21:00.000-07:00

Hire Kansas Talent is a service available to all districts in the state of Kansas interested in locating potential teacher's from state's 4-year public higher education institutions. This free service allows you to easily post a job to the online job board, which is then shared with each of the institutions own job advertising systems. This allows you reach a broad audience with just a single post. The Hire Kansas Talent consortium includes:

Fort Hays State University
Pittsburg State University
Emporia State University
Washburn University
University of Kansas
Wichita State University
Kansas State University

Pairing the Hire Kansas Talent service with the Kansas Education Employment Board in your recruitment effort can maximize your advertising capabilities to reach a large number of new graduates, alumni, out-of-state, and in-state educators.

Phases of 1st Year Teachers

2008-08-21T09:01:00.000-07:00

As your new teachers complete their first week of school, it is important to give some thought to their experiences and coming needs. First year teachers journey through a number of phases in their first year of teaching (Moir, 1990). Being knowledgeable about these phases, allows school districts to schedule training and support at critical times. These trainings can focus on the areas teachers have the most difficulty with or are prepared to learn more about during that phase. Below are a few of the dilemmas new teachers face during each phase:

Anticipation (1st - 2nd weeks)

excited about year

Survival (1st to 2nd month)

struggle to keep head above water
spending 70 hours a week on schoolwork
struggling to keep up

Disillusionment (at 8 weeks)

begin questioning commitment
overwhelmed with parent conferences, first evaluation, and back to school night.
classroom management major source of distress

Rejuvenation (January)

much needed winter break
acceptance of realities of teaching
focus in curriculum development and teaching strategies

Reflection (May)

highlight events that were successful and those that weren't
think about changes they'd like to make next year

Establishing Good Communication with Parents Early

2008-08-07T05:15:00.000-07:00

Next week, teachers will meet their students that they will spend the next 9 months teaching and supporting. In addition, they will most likely begin meeting parents that they will also be spending the next 9 months communicating with. It is important that new teachers have a procedure in place for establishing good communication with parents early in the year. Below are tips that you can share with your beginning teachers that may help them initiate communication, continue effective communication throughout the year, and suggestions for open house night. This information may also be helpful to mentors as they assist early career teachers in establishing communication practices.

Tips for Parent Communication for Classroom Teachers

Establishing Good Communication Early
It is important to introduce yourself and establish good communication to parents early. In fact, a introductory letter may be the first item you complete as you get ready for the new school year. This letter may include information below:

Introduction
Necessary supplies
Contact information
Upcoming classroom or school events

Throughout the year you can build on this initial communication with newsletters, phone calls, emails, progress reports, and conferences.

Tips for Good Communication (from www.susd.org)

Be professional in your communication (avoid rumors and gossip).
Be direct and clear in what you say.
Think through, in advance, what you are going to say.
Be sure to listen.
Be positive, even when dealing with problems. Involve parents in the decision-making.
Avoid using educational jargon.
Proofread any notes/newsletters before you send them home with students.
Keep a record of all communication with parents.
If you have any question about a communication you are going to send, discuss it first with an administrator or mentor.
Inform an administrator or your mentor of any problems so they are informed on the situation when they receive communication from the parent.

Open House Night
Many schools will conduct an open house early in the school year to give teachers, students, and parents’ time to meet each other. There are a number of procedures you can follow to take advantage of this time and establish a good relationship with parents.

You may discuss:

Classroom rules and policies
Curriculum and/or standards
Your expectations for students
Instructional materials, such as textbooks or workbooks

Overall tips for open house night:

Provide handouts of grading procedures, homework procedures, curriculum maps, etc.
Dress professionally
Provide information on how parents can communicate with you and what they can expect to be communicated to them regarding their child’s progress.
Provide a volunteer sign up sheet.

Example of an Exemplary Induction Program

2008-07-25T12:58:00.000-07:00

In the coming weeks school districts will begin induction programs for new staff. There are a number of induction programs across the country that have been recognized for exemplary programming. One such program is the Quakertown (Pa.) New Teacher Academy, which was been highlighted by the National Staff Development Council (NSDC) in a 2002 Journal of Staff Development article. The academy includes unique features, such as a two week training period prior to school starting that involves workshops and even a bus tour of the district and community. Workshops during this period cover such topics as:

understanding the district standards,
positive classroom management,
teaching with technology, and
a principals panel.

The image below outlines the complete schedule of the two week training period.

(Image 1: New Teacher Academy, Year One, Beerer, 2002)

To learn more about the components of the New Teacher Academy visit the article by the NSDC: http://www.nsdc.org/library/publications/jsd/beerer234.cfm

Resources for New Teachers

2008-07-10T08:00:00.000-07:00

New teachers across the state have begun making a home in communities and schools as they prepare to begin their careers as educators in the Fall. In addition, a large number of veteran teachers are relocating and establishing new homes, while become familiar with a new school. This offers a great opportunity for districts and cooperatives to assist teachers with the necessary resources to get settled and be ready for school to start in August. The Kansas Education Employment Board (KEEB) offers a number of resources that may be helpful for new educators to your community including links to such basic information as vehicle registration and driver's license registration. You can locate these links on the Kansas Resources page. In addition, many schools provide incoming teachers and staff with a list of realtors in the area, as well as information on utilities, banks, etc. Beyond your community resources, national and state assistance programs for teachers can be helpful to new staff. Bank of America offers mortgage assistance to teachers, which can prove helpful to beginning teachers in your district who are preparing to buy their first home. You can find more information on this program by clicking the link below.

Bank of America Mortgage Assistance Programs for Teachers

Teacher Flex: For school teachers, school administrators, librarians or health care professionals who lack established credit histories.

Teacher Zero Down: For school teachers, school administrators, librarians or health care professionals who have a good established credit history but lack the funds to make a down payment.

Click Here to Learn More About These Programs

As August fast approaches it is important to take some time and consider how new teachers are introduced to the community and the school district. While this information may be simple to provide, it can have a lasting first impression on the new teacher.

NEA Recruitment and Retention Strategies Guide

2008-06-27T08:58:00.000-07:00

In 2003, the National Education Association, published the guide, Meet the Challenges of Recruitment and Retention. Although, now approaching 6 years old, this guide still offers a wealth of timely information for school personnel involved in the hiring and retention process. A number of examples of programs from schools across the country are provided and the guide concludes with a list of resources that may be helpful as you examine your recruitment and retention practices. Below is a brief description from NEA of the information on recruitment and retention in the guide:

Recruitment Strategies -- discusses the importance of developing a comprehensive recruitment plan, and suggests ways to develop a strong marketing and outreach campaign and to improve the hiring process. This chapter also focuses on programs that provide nontraditional routes into the profession and provides examples of financial incentives being used across the country to recruit new teachers.
Retention Strategies -- discusses the need to prepare teachers adequately and to nurture new teachers, and provides examples of programs that are addressing these needs. This chapter also focuses on ways in which schools can improve the working environment for teachers and looks at how financial incentives can be used as a retention tool.

To download the article, click on the following link: http://www.nea.org/teachershortage/images/rrg-full.pdf (PDF, 1.6 M, 79 pages)

Promoting Collegial Collaboration

2008-06-20T08:29:00.000-07:00

Providing new and veteran teachers time to develop collegial collaboration is an essential part to any induction program or retention effort. Collaboration time can occur in a number of ways, such as grade level planning time, common prep periods, or periodic release time. New and veteran teachers can both benefit from these experiences, allowing veteran teachers to share successful classroom practices and new teachers an opportunity to share new instructional approaches they recently learned about in their teacher preparation programs.

One collaboration program that research has proven effective is the Critical Friends Group (CFG) developed by the Annenberg Institute for School Reform and the Harmony Education Center. CFG occurs when "Skilled facilitators/coaches help teachers and administrators create and/or sustain learning communities where they can develop shared norms and values, engage in reflective dialogue, give each other feedback on their work, and hold each other accountable" (National School Reform Faculty website). At the CFG website you can access a host of resources including the research behind the model, protocols for CFG dialogue, reflective dialogue training guides, and frequently asked questions. The CFG protocols provide step-by-step directions for a facilitator to follow as the learning community reflects on student work, classroom incidences, literature, and classroom visits. The protocols are free for anyone to access and use, along with support materials. The image below is an example of the protocols for the learning community to utilize related to learning from student work. The protocols assist the group in examining student work and having a reflective dialogue on student learning. If you are interested in using any of the resources from the Harmony Education Center visit the following links:

Harmony Education Center: http://www.nsrfharmony.org/
CFG Program Description: http://www.nsrfharmony.org/program.html
Protocols: http://www.nsrfharmony.org/protocol/index.html
Take a Look at How Other States Implement the Program: http://www.nsrfharmony.org/centers.html

2008-2009 Schedule of Career Fairs/Teacher Interview Days

2008-06-12T12:08:00.000-07:00

It's not too early to begin thinking about your recruiting efforts for the next school year. We have compiled a list of career fair and interview events at Kansas universities in 2008 - 2009 that is now available on the Kansas Education Employment Board (KEEB). To view the schedule visit http://www.kansasteachingjobs.com/page_add.cfm?PID=6 and print the events or sign up for the Google Calendar Feed of events. In addition, just click on the location name to visit the universities career services website for information on registration. If you know of an event that should be added to the list please email the date, title, and location to support@kansasteachingjobs.com.

Predicting New Teacher Questions

2008-06-06T09:19:00.000-07:00

As new hires are introduced to your school district or cooperative this summer they will have a numerous questions for their supervisor or mentor. The questions will range from where to locate supplies to how do I use the phones. Below is a list of questions that new teachers should have the answers to as they complete their first week or induction programs. This would be a good resource to include in your induction packets and verify that supervisors and mentors have the answers to these questions ahead of time.

Policies and Procedures for the Classroom

What are the hours I have access to my classroom?
What school rules and policies should I present to students?
Is there a homework hotline or website I need to keep current?
What resources are made available for students and parents on the internet?

Policies and Procedures for the School

What is the procedure for students arrive at school?
How do students leave at the end of the school day?
Is there any kind of special event or assembly during the 1st week?
What paperwork is required of me for the first day of school, attendance, and lunch?
How are parents notified of suspension or detention and what are the policies for make-up work?
What is the procedure for sending my students to the library and restroom?
What is the bell or class schedule?

Obtaining Materials

What is the procedure for requesting furniture items for my classroom (e.g. tables, chairs)?
What is the procedure for requesting technology for my classroom?
What is the procedure for obtaining consumable supplies (e.g. paper, printer ink, pencils, etc.)
What is the procedure for obtaining textbooks and checking them out to students?
What is the procedure for making copies of materials?
What is the procedure for accessing student files?

Gaining Assistance

Are classroom aides available and what is the procedure for obtaining their assistance?
Who can help me with the technology in my classroom?
How do I get assistance from the office for emergencies, illness or discipline problems?
When should I consult with the principal?
How do I refer students to the counselor and school nurse?
What kinds of resources are available if I have a student who I believe has a learning or behavior problem?

These questions have been modified from The Scottsdale School District New Teacher Induction Program at http://www.susd.org/district/ProfessionalDevelopment/newteacher/mentorquestions.cfm

May Update

2008-05-30T10:49:00.000-07:00

The month of May experienced a decline in visitors and applications submitted on the Kansas Education Employment Board (KEEB). Fewer jobs are currently open and many applicants have found positions for the 2008-2009 school year. The above data reflect the changes in just a month.

Status of Special Education Positions in Kansas

2008-05-19T11:31:00.000-07:00

There are currently over 200 special education positions open in Kansas; closely following elementary positions as the highest number of openings. Special education positions are classified one of two ways. Either as a special education position (i.e. classroom teacher) or related service position (i.e. speech language pathologist, occupational therapist, physical therapist, psychologist, etc.). By region, the Northeast currently has the most openings at 77 (see table above). The table below identifies the number of openings compared to positions which have been filled.

2008-2009 New KEEB Features

2008-05-13T11:36:00.000-07:00

As the summer fast approaches, we have begun to identifying ways to improve the recruitment services offered on the Kansas Education Employment Board. Many of the features you will begin seeing next fall are based on feedback from users. Below is a list of new features that are currently in development stage for the next recruitment year:

Multiple Security Levels of Access: Provide controlled access to other administrators in your district so that they can view applicants resumes without access to your entire account
Interview Scheduler: Request interviews and schedule right in KEEB, while receiving email reminders on upcoming interviews
Contact Log: Track which applicant resumes have been viewed, contacted for interview, references checked, or additional material was requested
Search applicants by geographical region
Added images to job postings
Additional resume fields including;

geographical region preference
teaching preference
Student teaching experience, including supervisor

Please feel free to provide us feedback if you have suggestions for improving the website at support@kansasteachingjobs.com

April Update

2008-05-02T08:30:00.001-07:00

It is hard to believe that May is upon us and it is a great time to reflect on April's recruitment and retention activities. Continued growth was experienced during the month including:

98% of districts now utilizing KEEB
over 1 million page views in the month
approximately 900 more applications submitted
1,019 total positions filled since September
1,035 positions currently open

Checkout the presentation below to see how April compares to past months.

| View | Upload your own

Last Chance to Register for April 29th Career Fair

2008-04-17T06:02:00.000-07:00

Monday is the last chance to register for the virtual career fair on April 29th. This is a free event for districts and you can participate from the comfort of your office or home. The fair will occur from 5:00 - 7:30 p.m.. We have a significant number of job seekers registered from across the country with the following endorsements:

Special ED Admin
Elementary Education
ESL, English 7-12
ESL, Building Leadership
ESL, Secondary
Art K-12
Chemistry, Biology, Physical Science
Biology
Language Arts (MS), Social Studies (MS)
English/Speech/SPED
Music Elementary
K-12 Instrumental/Classroom Music

For more information visit: http://www.kansasteachingjobs.com/page_add.cfm?PID=16. If your interested in participate email kylie@kansasteachingjobs.com.

Anaylzing Your Recruitment Effectiveness

2008-04-04T13:19:00.000-07:00

This is a great time of year to analyze your district or coop's recruitment practices to determine if there are areas that could be more effective. The checklist below is a great tool for analyzing your these practices, while identifying areas for improvement. It was published in 2007 in the Business and Legal Reports Special Report, Win the Recruiting War! Finding and Hiring Great Employees. While these questions are intended for the business world, they can be integrated into the education field's practices effectively.

How can we ensure the best possible match?
How can we manage candidate expectations and set a realistic picture?
Are we going to use any type of preemployment testing? What criteria will we use to select those tools, and how are they validated?
What interviewing technique will our team use, and is training required?
What have been the road blocks in our screening process?
What approach will we take to communicate with the candidate?
Are we providing every opportunity for candidates to self-identify?
What has the offer-to-acceptance ratio been?
What factors have impacted the acceptance rates?
What is the market for the types of candidates you seek?
What are our strengths as an employer? Weaknesses?
What strategies can be implemented to increase closure rate?
What means will be used for extending offers?

Status of Education Openings in Kansas

2008-04-03T06:31:00.000-07:00

There are currently 1,029 teaching and administration positions open across the state on the Kansas Education Employment Board (KEEB). This number reflects openings for 90% of districts in the state as of April 3rd. The graph below identifies the number of positions open in particular areas.

Special Education Related Services reflects positions in speech/language pathology, physical therapy, occupational therapy, school psychologist, and social workers.

Update on KEEB Statistics

2008-03-24T07:39:00.000-07:00

We continue to monitor the use and success of the new Kansas Education Employment Board (KEEB) as we look for ways to improve the service for both school districts and applicants. As of March, we have seen tremendous growth in visitors to KEEB and unique applications for positions. Below is a chart of monthly visitors comparing first time visitors to returning visitors. As you can see we have had a steady incline since December.

In addition, the number of individual applications submitted to job openings has doubled since December. An individual application is an application submitted for a specific job opening by a potential candidate. As the number of job openings posted have increased, so has the number of applications submitted.

These applications have resulted in 291 openings being filled to-date.

So far the data suggests we are on the right track. With over 965 openings in the state being advertised today, we will continue to focus on increasing traffic to these job openings, while providing the tools employers need to recruit and hire quality candidates.

Watch the Latest Recruiting Event

2008-03-19T07:07:00.000-07:00

Checkout the video from the March 4th recruiting event. This video may be a great way to share information with administrators and school board members and inform them on the virtual recruiting opportunities now available through KEEB. Remember the April 9th and April 29th events are still open for districts. Email me at kylie.stewart@greenbush.org if your district would like to participate.

Upcoming Virtual Recruitment Events

2008-03-11T13:07:00.000-07:00

Due to the successful response with the first virtual educator recruitment event last Tuesday in Second Life, we will be hosting two additional events next month. Below is information related to these events. Registration is still open and free for both events and if your is interested feel free to email me kylie.stewart@greenbush.org.

April 9, 2008 Southwest Regional Career Fair
5:00 - 7:30 p.m.

April 29, 2008 Statewide Career Fair
5:00 - 7:30 p.m.

To learn more visit: www.kansasteachingjobs.com and click on Virtual Career Fair in the KEEB Main Menu

New Updates to Data and Resume Submission

2008-03-06T08:56:00.000-08:00

New updates have been made today to KEEB to allow you access to more manageable data and improve resume submission. Below is more information regarding these updates:

Manageable Data
You can now download a CSV Excel file of all applicant data for your positions to import into any HR management system you may use. This link is now located on the 'My Account' page and titled 'Export Applicants to CSV File'. If you have questions regarding how to utilize this feature please feel free to contact us or contact the vendor of your HR management system.

Resume Submission
Applicants are now unable to submit duplicate applications to positions they have already applied for. They are notified that their resume has already been used to apply for that particular position and asked to contact the position's contact person if they have updated their resume.

Both of these features are a result of feedback from district user's of KEEB. We appreciate the feedback you provide and please feel free to contact me with any suggestions you may have at kylie.stewart@greenbush.org.

2008 KEEB Statistics To Date

2008-02-21T12:46:00.001-08:00

KEEB continues to experience excellent growth since the new year began. 80% of districts in the state now have an account and approximately 200 jobs have been filled to-date. There are currently 770 jobs open today with a projected 3600 applications submitted this month. As you can see from the graph below there has continued to be a rise in the number of unique applications submitted for these positions.

We also are experiencing a continued increase in traffic with 79,000 visitors last month and currently projecting 90,000 visitors this month. We will continue to update this data as positions are filled and new jobs are added.

What Can Educators Do To Help Recruit Other Educators to their District?

2008-02-19T11:07:00.000-08:00

This week I will be sharing the presentation below with the Kansas Exemplary Educator Network (KEEN) at their annual meeting in Topeka. This blog and our efforts with KEEB have focused primarily on helping district administrators better recruit teachers to their districts. While this is critical, teachers in those districts can play a crucial role in recruiting, as well. The presentation focuses on what classroom teachers can do to help recruit teachers to their district with technology and ideas to consider in the retention of teachers once they are employed there.

| View | Upload your own

New Design to the KEEB Employer Account Page

2008-02-07T11:03:00.000-08:00

We continue to modify and improve the Kansas Education Employment Board (KEEB) to meet both the needs of both the job seekers and employers. Based on feedback from a number of districts we have modified the employer account page slightly to increase it's usability. Below is a screenshot of the new My Account page for Employers.

When you login as an employer, you will now see a list of positions you have stored in KEEB under the Current Job Postings heading. The white column in your list of jobs contains information on how many applications have been received. To view those applications you just click on the (#) applied link.

You will also notice periodic messages in red font notifying you of changes and suggestions for using KEEB. In addition, by clicking on the RSS: Statewide Kansas Applicants you can view the latest applications added to KEEB by job seekers. These are not unique to your district or school, but are another tool you can use to locate potential candidates. Feel free to contact us if you have any questions about the new revisions.

New Featured Employer on Homepage

2008-02-07T07:21:00.001-08:00

The Kansas Education Employment Board is now highlighting schools and districts with employer profiles on the homepage. KEEB randomly selects employers with completed profiles and shares information from their employer description, as well as, links to their complete profile and current job openings.

To ensure that your district is included in this new feature include information about your district and community in your employer description. If you would like to edit your employer description, login to www.kansasteachingjobs.com and click on Edit Profile.

Kansas Jobs Feeding to National Online Job Database

2008-01-28T07:09:00.000-08:00

All jobs posted on the Kansas Education Employment Board (KEEB) are now being fed directly to Simply Hired, a national database of jobs with approximately 2 million visitors a day. This allows school districts to advertise on additional websites without creating numerous job postings. Just post your job on KEEB and we'll do the work for you! The image above is the latest search results on Simply Hired for special education positions in Kansas. Stay tuned for news in the coming weeks related to additional feeds we are developing for other national websites.

Examining Retention Policies: What Should You Be Asking Yourself?

2008-01-25T11:09:00.000-08:00

I attended a great session this week, at the United School Administrators Conference in Wichita, aimed at retaining special education staff. Dr. Victoria White and Dr. Ann George, both of Pittsburg State University, shared research related to special education teacher retention and offered ideas for assessing building and district level policies and procedures that promote retention in their Thursday afternoon session. They discussed ways in which districts can evaluate the feelings and attitudes of special education teachers, as it relates to retention. Below are just a few of the questions that Dr. White and Dr. George suggested in their assessment, which was adapted from the Council for Exceptional Children’s article Retention of Special Education Professionals: A Practical Guide of Strategies and Activities for Educators and Administrators.

How do you present a “I want you to be here. You are important” attitude to your staff?
How are you supportive of teacher decisions?
How do you provide time and opportunities for collaboration among special and general educators?
How do you provide mentoring experiences throughout your educators’ professional development experiences?
How do you ensure that all educators are treated equitably?
How do you ensure that all educators have access to materials?
How do you ensure that the work environment is satisfying?

These are important questions to consider as we examine our practices related to not only special education teacher retention, but retention of all our education professionals. To read the full article visit the Council for Exceptional Children.

KEEB Activities at the United School Administrators Conference

2008-01-17T09:37:00.000-08:00

The United School Administrators (USA) Conference will be taking place next Wednesday thru Friday in Wichita. KEEB will have a number of activities occurring during the conference that you may be interested in. During the exhibit hall, stop by the KEEB booth to learn more about KEEB, get assistance with your employer profile, or provide us feedback on how we can improve the system. Matt Blatchley, lead programmer on KEEB, and myself will be available to assist with any questions you may have about utilizing KEEB in your recruitment effort.

In addition, Thursday at 2:00, there will be a presentation on KEEB identifying new features that have been added, an update on the retention learning portal, and news on the first ever virtual teacher recruitment event. In case you are not attending, you can view and download the presentation below:

| View | Upload your own

We look forward to seeing those of you planning on attending the conference.

First Kansas Statewide Virtual Career Fair for Educators

2008-01-10T08:54:00.000-08:00

The Kansas Recruitment and Retention Program will be hosting the first statewide virtual career fair for individuals interested in learning more about teaching in Kansas. The fair will take place in Second Life, a 3D virtual world that many Fortune 500 companies are now experimenting with to locate qualified candidates. The fair will be very similar to traditional career fairs with district booths and potential candidates walking through to learn more about job opportunities. During the fair, you will be stationed at a booth and have the necessary technology to speak with potential candidates. School districts participating in the fair will be provided with:

• Training
• Virtual booth
• Resumes of interested applicants
• Mock career fair to test equipment and booth

To learn more about the virtual career fair visit www.kansasteachingjobs.com and click on Virtual Career Fair in the KEEB Main Menu. To register, send your contact information to support@kansasteachingjobs.com.

Edweek Live Chat on Recruitment

2008-01-07T12:38:00.001-08:00

On Tuesday, January 8th Edweek will be hosting an online live chat on "Recruiting and Retaining a New Generation of Teachers". Some of you may be interested in participating or learning more. Below is information on the time and web address. We will be posting a synopsis of the chat later in the week.

Live Chat:
Recruiting and Retaining a New Generation of Teachers

WHEN: Tuesday, January 8, 3 to 4 p.m., Eastern time

WHERE: edweek-chat.org

Submit questions at edweek-chat.org.

With record numbers of teachers expected to retire in the next decade, and teacher-quality demands growing, districts across the nation are facing urgent questions about how to attract and support a new generation of educators.

The 22,000-student Vancouver School District in Vancouver, Washington, believes it has made significant progress in answering some of these questions. The district recently completed a systemic reorganization of its human resources program that emphasizes core values and career growth, and integrates new strategies in workforce planning, recruitment, compensation, mentoring and induction, professional development, and evaluation.

As a result of these changes, the district has replaced 70 percent of its full-time teachers and has a cumulative retention rate of 91 percent. It reports that it now attracts nearly 4,000 candidate contacts for every 200 job openings, and is able to select the top five percent of its candidate pool.

The Vancouver district has received awards in recognition of its recruitment and support practices from the National School Public Relations Association, the American Association of Employment in Education, and the American Association of School Personnel Administrators.

In this chat, two administrators from the Vancouver district will be online to take your questions on their recruitment and retention practices and on current trends in education staffing.

Please join us for the discussion.

About the Guests:

Lee Goeke is an Associate Superintendent of Human Resources Management in the Vancouver School District and currently serves as Legislative Chair for the Washington School Personnel Association. Prior to joining the Vancouver district, he was a human resources executive with the U.S. Defense Department, responsible for 100,000 employees in Europe.

Ed Wilgus is the Professional Development Manager for the Vancouver School District, responsible for training and mentoring. A former nationally certified counselor, he has worked as a public school counselor at the primary and secondary levels.

*************************************************

No special equipment other than Internet access is needed to participate in this text-based chat. A transcript will be posted shortly after the completion of the chat.

Screenshot Tips and Tricks on KEEB

2008-01-03T09:13:00.001-08:00

Navigating the Employer Account, originally uploaded by Teaching in Kansas.

We continue to work on phase II features for the Kansas Education Employment Board. Many of these features are behind the scenes work to increase traffic to the website, such as the partnership with hirekansastalent.com. In conjunction with the behind the scenes work we continuing to work at making the website as user friendly as possible. In an effort to help new users we are adding screenshots with tips to the Help Page. Above is just an example of what users will be able to access as they become familiar with the tools and features of the website. This new resource is intended to ensure that districts are utilizing each feature to the best of their ability in their retention efforts.

Review of Kansas Teacher Retention and Examining One Solution

2007-12-26T08:40:00.000-08:00

| View | Upload your own

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

2007-12-13T07:00:00.001-08:00

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

2007-12-06T07:17:00.000-08:00

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.

Partnership with University Career Services

2007-11-29T08:01:00.000-08:00

Many of you who participated in career fairs across the state at higher education institutions this fall may be familiar with a new job board in the state, Hire Kansas Talent. This website is a collaborative effort between Kansas State University, University of Kansas, Fort Hays, Pittsburg, State, Emporia, Washburn, and Wichita State to provide one-stop location to advertise job openings to college students and recent graduates.

KEEB is in the process of developing a partnership with the participating universities to share job information with them from kansasteachingjobs.com. This will allow any job posted on KEEB to be subsequently posted on hirekansastalent.com. We hope this effort will extend the reach of school districts job openings, while reducing district's workload to reach a broader audience. This partnership addresses one of KEEB's goals of establishing a larger teacher pool and increased advertising of job openings. We will keep you updated as this partnership moves forward.

New Resource for Becoming a Kansas Teacher

2007-11-16T05:55:00.000-08:00

The Teacher Education and Licensure Division at KSDE has teamed up with KEEB to provide information for job seekers on Kansas teaching licenses. This information provides step-by-step directions for individuals who are interested in obtaining a Kansas teaching license. Job seekers can select which area sounds most like them, whether they are licensed in another state, just beginning college, are a current college student, or are interested in a new career. The image above provides an example of the kind of information career changers can find on the new webpage. In addition to directions, the resource provides links to all the necessary information you may need, from license applications, locating teacher prep programs to finding scholarship opportunities. This resource is intended for job seekers as well as a resource for school districts and special education cooperatives as they assist their new teachers and staff through the licensure process. To view the new resource visit www.kansasteachingjobs.com and click on Become a Teacher in the KEEB Main Menu.

Interviewing Candidates with Video

2007-11-08T07:41:00.000-08:00

Many districts are now interviewing potential candidates who live in various locations across the state of Kansas or in another state. Today’s technology provides a number of options for interviewing these candidates from another location. Voice over Internet Protocol, or often referred to as VoIP, allows you to make free phone calls over the internet. New tools in VoIP make it even easier to make video calls, which allow the callers to see each other and make the distance interview more personal. Here are two common programs you can use to conduct video conferencing interviews that are free.

Skype – Free video conferencing calls to anyone with a Skype account. Your district could set up an administrative account and an interviewee account. Then candidates would just need to download the Skype software to connect to you. The screenshot to the right is an example from Skype of what a voice call would look like within their software. http://www.skype.com
Yugma – Free teleconferencing capabilities that also have features similar to webinars if you wanted to offer an online information session about your district. Yugma just requires you to sign up for a free account. https://www.yugma.com/

Each of these programs will require a camera to conduct video interviews. A decent webcam can range in price from $50 to $100. Many of today’s new computers come with built in webcams, so your applicants may already have access to this technology. If you are interested in conducting video interviews or learning more contact me at kylie.stewart@greenbush.org.

Assessing Your Effort to Attract Quality Candidates

2007-11-01T09:41:00.000-07:00

KEEB has now been in place for 7 weeks and there are approximately 1300 applicants in the system as of press time. A number of the applicants are in the system to learn how to use it or are considering applying for positions, but many are actively applying for positions. There a number of steps you can take to attract quality candidates from this pool to your posting. The former KEEB system inundated you with resumes, while the new system requires a little more work up front to receive resumes. The new features are intended to provide 10 really good applicants rather than 100 resumes to sift through for 10 candidates. There are a number of ways you can increase the rate of quality applicants.

Branding – It is important to brand your district so that candidates with similar philosophies apply. This can help you find a good fit with a candidate. You can include branding by utilizing the employer description, images, and podcasts.
Review Your Posting – Look at your posting from a job seekers perspective, rather than the employer side. When you read your posting do you get a feeling for where your located, what your districts beliefs are, what the job is, and the kinds of benefits that are available?
Keyword Rich – Visitors to KEEB from popular search engines like Google, MSN, and Yahoo are increasing every day. You can take advantage of these search engines by utilizing keywords in your postings. For example, let’s say I have a PT position to post. I would be better off listing it as Physical Therapist and including those two words in my posting several times, not just in the title. For example, when I search Google for Interrelated Special Education Job, the first search result is a link to a posting on KEEB. The district that posted this position included the title of the position in the job description as well.

If you aren’t getting the applicants the number of applicants you might consider looking at these three areas. Remember also, that KEEB provides you with data so that you can learn more about how many job seekers are viewing your postings. This can be helpful information when analyzing your recruitment effort.

Linking Your District to KEEB

2007-10-22T10:48:00.003-07:00

Silver Lake School District is the first to link directly to KEEB on their district website with the new KEEB logo. Checkout how they include the logo on their homepage to direct potential candidates to KEEB. Candidates can click on the link to view open positions and submit an application. If you would like to add the KEEB logo to your district or HR website email me at kylie.stewart@greenbush.org.

More Insight from AASPA: A Mentor Program for All Teachers

2007-10-19T07:58:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Steve Kelley, Assistant Superintendent for the Lebanon Community School District in Oregon shared a unique mentor program that his district has been implementing for the last 5 years with new teachers to the district. The Lebanon program is one of the most extensive mentor programs I have heard about and they are experiencing great retention success. Steve offered his perspectives on why this program works and identified the keys to success for any mentor program. First and foremost, mentor programs must be unique to your district and your district’s perspectives. The program’s key goals is not only to support new teachers to the profession and to the school district, but to indoctrinate new teachers into the culture of the district (their beliefs, practices, and goals). Lebanon utilizes a 3 day orientation program and mentors for all new teachers, but also takes these practices one step further with monthly new teacher conversations, critical friends groups, and instructional coaches. Steve identified the five keys to success for any mentor program:

Money - For any mentor program to be successful it has to be supported financially. Lebanon does this through Title II funds and spends approximately $200,000 a year (district of 5,000 students)
Coordinator - Someone must be put in charge of the program at the district level
Partnerships - Meaningful partnerships with local universities can have a strong impact. Lebanon utilizes the local university to train mentors.
Evaluate, evaluate, evaluate - Talk to new teachers and mentors often about what works and doesn’t work (Lebanon utilizes surveys and focus groups)
Provide training and support to coordinator, instructional coaches, and mentors - Training is essential for mentors and support personnel.

If you would like more information on Steve's presentation email me at kylie.stewart@greenbush.org.

Recruiting Generation X and Y: Insight from the AASPA Conference

2007-10-18T06:26:00.000-07:00

The American Association of School Personnel Administrators (AASPA) Conference is gathering in Kansas City this week. Yesterday, I attended a workshop on hiring and retaining generation X and Y by Rochelle Eisenberg, a workforce lawyer who represents school districts in Maryland. Rochelle had a number of interesting ideas related to how to attract this generation of teachers and keep them in your schools. Below are a few ideas, while some may be a little outside the box, it seems many districts are getting creative in how they retain staff.

Advertising, advertising, advertising (This generation has had more information at their fingertips than any other...they want to gather as much information about you as an employer as they can. You can provide this in brochures, your district website, and employment boards)
Use multimedia (Develop a video that you can use online and share on a DVD with potential candidates that highlights your district)
Tuition reimbursement (This generation is interested in continued education and career growth...offer them financial options for this)
Collaboration time (highlight your district or buildings collaboration times and how teachers are using it)
Health club (Many districts across the country are negotiating agreements with local gyms to provide memberships to district employees, some districts are also opening the doors to gyms and weight rooms after hours for employees as a cost effective way of providing health club access)
Technology (This generation has had their own laptops for as long as they can remember...provide each teacher with their own and upgrade teacher lounges for internet and computer access)
Better lunches (Many districts are getting creative in offering designer coffee, snacks, and great lunch options for teachers in the lounge)

More to come soon from the AASPA Conference!

Highlighting Educators in Your District

2007-10-11T07:41:00.000-07:00

Beyond this blog for employers, KEEB now publishes a blog for job seekers that shares tips and tricks for those individuals interested in an education career in the state. One section of the blog shares the stories of educators across the state. This provides job seekers with a personal story or experience that they can possibly relate to. We have posted the first story from a wonderful 2nd year educator from Garden City High School, Shanna Riecker. Shanna shares the experience of her first year of teaching and talks about the benefits of teaching in Kansas. This not only provides someone interested in teaching in Kansas information about what the first year may be like, but provides districts, such as Garden City, another way to direct applicants to their district. Here is just an excerpt of Shanna's story:

Shanna Riecker
Math Teacher
Garden City High School

Why did you become a teacher?
Growing up, I always wanted to be a teacher. I conducted “classes” for all of the neighborhood kids from a very early age. Until my senior year of high school, I was sure that I wanted to be a first grade teacher – I wanted to be just like Mrs. P. was when I was in first grade. My high school offered an Exploring Teaching class where seniors were allowed to go to an elementary school and be a teacher’s aide for a class, and of course, I chose to go into a first grade classroom. It didn’t take me long to figure out that wasn’t the right place for me. In a discussion with my counselor, she mentioned that I should consider secondary education, and I took her advice. I majored in mathematics secondary education because math was something that was usually easy for me, and I enjoyed the endless possibilities with teaching math. I enjoyed the time that I got to spend in middle school and high school classrooms throughout my coursework, and I knew that this was what I was meant to do. After college graduation, I took a job teaching high school math in Garden City, Kansas. It wasn’t where I figured I would end up teaching, but the experience thus far has been wonderful.

What was your first year of teaching like?
Garden City High School was an amazing place to start my teaching career. The math department had all of the qualities that I was looking for – the teachers were positive, they collaborated, they were willing to try new methods of teaching, they utilized technology whenever possible, and they welcomed me into their “family” with open arms. Any time I had a question (or still have a question), there were 16 other teachers ready to...

To read the rest of Shanna's story visit the Job Seekers Blog. If you have an educator, related service provider, or administrator in your district who you would like to highlight on KEEB email me their contact information and we will send them information on how to participate.

Update on Marketing Your District or Agency

2007-10-05T08:01:00.000-07:00

As I traveled the state this week conducting trainings on the new Kansas Education Employment Board (KEEB) I heard many districts and agencies talk about how they are using new KEEB features to market their district. The new features allow employers to include descriptions, images, and video and are now being used to reach job seekers like never before. You will notice that many districts are utilizing images of their district logo or buildings in their employer profile. There are also a few districts taking advantage of the video feature to either upload a recruitment video or embed a video already on their district homepage. In addition, many districts are now identifying their location to other cities and towns in their profiles. Therefore, if a job seeker does a search for a particular town that they are located near, they appear in the search results as an employer in the area. If you would like assistance with any of these features or would like us to take a look at your profile and offer suggestions for how to market your district and community don't hesitate to contact us.

Selling the Benefits of Small Town Kansas

2007-09-26T08:19:00.001-07:00

Many of the school districts in our state sit in small rural communities. These communities offer multiple benefits to teachers that need to be shared with potential candidates. In July, CNN highlighted small towns across the country in their article "Big Employers, Small-town Jobs". One question the author raised regarding the benefits of small towns was:

But what about the advantages of small-town life, like cheap housing, low crime rates, and clean air?

The new KEEB allows districts to provide this type of information about their community in the employer description. This information then becomes part of each and ever job posting. To locate information on your community visit the link below. This site provides data, such as, number of libraries, parks, housing costs, etc. for cities in Kansas that may be worth including in your employer description on KEEB.
http://money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/bplive/2007/states/KS.html

We are currently developing a video highlighting the benefits of teaching in rural Kansas that will be posted on the KEEB website. I will keep you updated as we wrap up production.

Locating Qualified Candidates: New Applicant Search Tool

2007-09-21T12:37:00.001-07:00

Beyond posting job announcements, the redesign Kansas Education Employment Board (KEEB) now allows registered employers to search for candidates. You can conduct a search by either key word and/or endorsement to locate individuals interested in teaching in Kansas. To use the search tool, login to www.kansasteachingjobs.com or Sign Up for an employer account under Employers in the KEEB Main Menu. Once you are logged in, click on "Search Applicants" in the KEEB Main Menu. You will then see a list of applicants including their contact information and their endorsement(s). To view their full application click on the magnifying glass. You can now view the applicants qualifications, download any attachments they may have included (i.e. cover letter), and print a copy for your file.

Recruiting is Marketing Your District or Organization

2007-09-19T08:06:00.000-07:00

The new KEEB offers user friendly tools to market your district like never before. Below are three ways to increase applicants’ knowledge of your district and market unique aspects of your district. Applicants can view this content when they view any of your job announcements or your employer profile. If you already have an employer account in KEEB, login and click on Edit Profile on the “My Menu” page to utilize any of these features. If you don’t have an account yet, sign up for your free employer account at www.kansasteachingjobs.com and start marketing your district or organization today.

Employer Description: Share your district vision and values, as well as, describe where you are located. Include any information that sets you apart from other districts, such as, a focus on technology or small class sizes. This is your opportunity to sell your district and community.
Image: “A picture is worth a thousand words.” Digital images allow applicants to make a connection with what you include in the employer description. The image may be of a building in your district, teachers or students, or a logo.
Podcast: Podcasts are a marketing tool to reach the video and ipod generation. In the new KEEB you can upload a brief 3 minute video highlighting your district or organization. Reach applicants by sharing what is it like to work there, highlight a teacher or administrator’s story, show a brief tour of the facilities, or discuss the kinds of benefits offered or professional development opportunities. At the end the podcast be sure to include the district website and contact information.

If your district doesn’t have the technical expertise in house to develop some of this material look to a group of high school students such as class officers, journalism class, or other group of students who could assist you in developing the digital content. You might be amazed what students can do with a digital camera and a computer to highlight your district. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions about how to get started or need assistance in developing the material.

Developing a Quality Job Announcement

2007-09-18T06:53:00.000-07:00

The new job announcement format was included in the new KEEB based on specific feedback from both district personnel and applicants. The new format allows districts to provide detailed information about the job opening. By providing this type of information and adhering to the format, applicants do not have to contact districts for more information and can make an informed decision about whether they would be interested in the position. We are already noticing an increase in traffic and applications to positions announcements that are utilizing each of these areas. Below are a few examples of questions to keep in mind as you develop your job announcement and a few examples of exemplary postings. Feel free to contact me if you would like assistance in developing your job announcement.

Job Title

What is this position called?
What would my job title be?

Early Childhood Special Education Teacher
5th Grade Elementary Teacher

Job Description

What will my primary job responsibilities be?
What age group will I be working with?
What district school building is this position in?
How many students will I be serving?

To provide Early Childhood Special Education services to children ages 3-5 with developmental delays or disabilities and their families through an inter agency, home, and community based service delivery model, and to ensure that the education needs of the child are addressed.

Salary

What is the starting salary?
What is the length of the contract?
Will the district recognize my years of experience?

2007-2008 base salary is $32,300. Teacher salary schedule, 192 day contract

33,000 base, full credit for years of service

Bonus

Does your district provide a signing bonus?
Are there programs for tuition reimbursement?

No signing bonus or $1000 signing bonus for high need position

50% tuition reimbursement for approved coursework while under contract. Will consider regular education certified teacher working on special education certification.

Licensed employees eligible for $3,000 one-time bonus for earning masters degree.

Benefits

What kind of benefits are available to district employees?
Does the district offer vision and dental insurance?
Can I insure my family?

District-paid health benefit pays 95% of single policy, 50% of family policy. Flexible Benefit Plan components may be selected for pre-tax deduction. Allowance of 12 days' absence each year for personal use or illness, which can be accumulated.

Opportunities for professional development offering both inservice points and college credit available on site.

Are benefits paid?

Does the district pay for a portion of the benefits? Yes or No

KEEB Training Dates

2007-09-17T13:46:00.001-07:00

Training sessions are now available to school district personnel interested in using the new KEEB to advertise positions and locate qualified candidates. Below are the training dates. If you are interested in attending please email the session number along with your contact information to me at kylie.stewart@greenbush.org or call (620) 724-6281. If you are unable to attend a training date remember that you can download help files by clicking on HELP in the upper right hand corner of the new KEEB website. Also, I am always glad to answer a question via email or phone.

KEEB TRAINING SESSIONS:

SESSION #1: September 24th, 10:00 – 12:00 or 1:00 – 3:00, Greenbush, Southeast Kansas Education Service Center, 947 W. 47 HWY, Girard, KS
SESSION #2: September 27th, 1:00 – 3:00, Indian Creek Technology Center, Shawnee Mission School District, 4401 W. 103rd Street, Overland Park, KS
SESSION #3: October 1st, 12:00 – 2:00, Sedgwick County Area Educational Services Cooperative, 620 Industrial, Goddard, KS
SESSION #4: October 2nd, 10:00 – 12:00, Garden City School District, 1205 Fleming Road, Garden City, KS
SESSION #5: October 3rd, 1:00 – 3:00, Clay Center Community High School, 1630 9th St., Clay Center, KS

KEEB Weekend Users Were Busy

2007-09-17T06:26:00.001-07:00

The weekend was a busy one for the new Kansas Education Employment Board. There were 442 visitors on Saturday and 472 visitors on Sunday. Applicants are beginning to complete and post applications that are searchable by districts, so if you have a position open make sure you visit the KEEB website to locate and search the applicants!

KEEB is Live!

2007-09-13T13:25:00.000-07:00

As many of you know we were set to launch the newly designed Kansas Education Employment Board on Monday, September 17th. We were ready early and started the process today! Most of you will see the new site by tomorrow morning when you visit www.kansasteachingjobs.com. In some locations across the state and the country the new site is already available (this is dependent on your internet service provider). The site became live today at 1:00 p.m. and as of 3:30 this afternoon we have had:

150 visitors, from Kansas, Missouri, Texas, Oklahoma, New Hampshire, Colorado, Virginia, Arizona, Michigan, Arkansas, and Connecticut

and

923 page views!

This is a good start to increasing the recruitment effort here in the state and I encourage you to visit the new site tomorrow. There appears to be a number of applicants still looking for positions, so if you have an opening you may want to take a look at the Applicant Search tool in the KEEB Main Menu.

Teach in Kansas Commercial

2007-09-10T12:42:00.000-07:00

Watch the video below highlighting Kansas schools, educators, and administrators that will be used on the new Kansas Education Employment Board to educate future teachers on the benefits of a career in education in Kansas.

Launch of the New Kansas Education Employment Board

2007-09-06T07:20:00.000-07:00

Click on the play button below to listen to a introduction to the Kansas Education Employment Board set to launch across the state of Kansas on September 17th.

Receiving RSS Feeds on a Mobile Device

2007-09-04T13:41:00.001-07:00

The redesign KEEB now provides RSS Feeds of both job postings to job seekers and applicant resumes to employers. RSS Feeds can be received either at your computer via an rss reader such as Google, Yahoo, or Net Vibes, or on your mobile device such as a cell phone or ipod. You can preview what a KEEB RSS feed would look like on a cell phone on the image to the right.

To add an RSS feed to your mobile device you can use free services such as Plusmo to subscribe to KEEB content and view it on your device. It is as easy as subscribing to the feed and selecting the type of phone you have. Mobile devices which receive RSS feeds are not limited to PDA type phones, but any cell phone that accepts Java. Visit http://plusmo.com/ to learn more about how to use this technology and see a complete list of compatible phones.

Old KEEB vs. New KEEB for Employers

2007-08-31T07:33:00.001-07:00

As we prepare to launch the new Kansas Education Employment Board (KEEB) we will be providing districts, schools, and agencies in Kansas, that utilize KEEB to hire employees, with information on the redesign. Above is a comparison of the old KEEB vs. the new KEEB for employers.

RSS Feed for Applicants and Employers

2007-08-30T11:33:00.000-07:00

An RSS Feed is syndicated online content that provides an individual with up to the minute content in a condensed format at a single location. For example, you may read several online newspapers in a day and/or follow job postings or applicants on the Kansas Education Employment Board. Rather than visit each of these websites separately, an RSS Reader would compile the news content, and KEEB information on a frequent basis and bring the content to you. An RSS Reader (either web-based or software) is an application that allows you to add a list of these feeds to it and stores the content in one convenient location. This location can either be on your computer as software or a website, or you can receive content on a mobile device, such as a cell phone. The KEEB RSS Feed is beneficial because it allows applicants to learn about jobs openings as they are posted without having to visit the KEEB website frequently. In addition, employers can stay up to date on the applicant pool by receiving an RSS notification as applicants are added to the website. For example, in the image above you can preview the applicant RSS feed for employers. Notice that an employer can view contact and licensure information for the applicant. If they click on the blue title of the applicant's resume they will be redirected to login to KEEB and view and/or print the applicant's entire resume. This list is updated as a new resumes are added to KEEB by any applicant. This feature will provide employers with the information necessary to be proactive in their hiring processes.

Employer Search Tool for Applicants

2007-08-30T11:03:00.000-07:00

Job seekers in the redesigned Kansas Education Employment Board will now have the ability to not only search for education positions open in Kansas, but also search by an employer. The search results will provide the applicant with employer contact information, links to an employer website, and a viewable profile. The profile includes images and podcasts that the employer uploads, as well as a list of current job openings. This will allow applicants to not only search by general categories or geographical regions, but also by specific employers in the state.

Tracking Your Recruitment Effort

2007-08-24T06:02:00.001-07:00

The redesigned Kansas Education Employment Board (KEEB) will include a number of new features to assist the recruitment effort of schools. One feature in particular is data analysis built into KEEB. Districts will now able to track their recruitment effort by viewing user friendly tables displaying data such as the number of views a job position has had compared to the number of applications (click on the image of the table to view an example). This will provide districts feedback on their job descriptions and the impact it is having. In addition, districts will be able to view a pie chart of the number of jobs they have had open in a year by category, such as special education, science, or math. Districts will also have access to a table identifying how many positions they had open in a given month of the year. All of this data is intended to provide both feedback to districts on their recruitment effort, as well as timely data for stakeholders.

Sample Redesigned KEEB Application

2007-08-20T13:06:00.000-07:00

We have made significant progress on the KEEB redesign effort in the last week and are beginning to test the new site and features. One of the features we are very excited about is the newly redesigned application. We believe this will be more user friendly for employers and now contains required information so that districts receive complete applications every time. You will notice the application also allows applicants to post pictures and podcasts. Click on any of the images here to view a larger screenshot of that particular part of the application. FYI - This is just a demo application for myself to show what one would look like.

TMP World Wide Hosts Job Fair in Second Life

2007-08-20T10:25:00.000-07:00

TMP Worldwide, the world's largest independent recruitment advertising agency, will host another in-world job fair on August 21st to 23rd in Second Life for Accenture, EMC Corporation, GE Money and U.S. Cellular. This type of job fair is in consideration for Kansas schools and administrators to conduct virtual interviews with qualified teachers from across the country. Click on the link below to learn more about the TMP job fair.

http://networkinworld.jobs/

Fall Education Career Fairs

2007-08-13T08:09:00.000-07:00

Now that school is starting, it is time to starting thinking about fall recruitment opportunities. Many of the universities in the state host fall education career fairs. I will be traveling to many of these fairs this fall to introduce the Kansas Education Employment Board, as well as the state's Second Life employment building, to preservice teachers . The following career fairs are currently scheduled at Kansas universities. If you would like more information on these fairs click on the university name. Let me know if there is anything I can do to enhance your fall recruitment efforts at kylie.stewart@greenbush.org or 620-724-6281.

Pittsburg State University, September 26
Kansas State University, October 2
University of Kansas, November 7
Emporia State University, November 12

Governor Sebelius's Comments on Kansas Education Employment

2007-08-09T12:44:00.000-07:00

View the video that will be used to introduce prospective educators to both KEEB and education in the state of Kansas.

Revised KEEB Zones

2007-08-03T10:56:00.000-07:00

Click on the image of the state of Kansas to view the revised geographical zones to be used within the KEEB website. Feel free to provide feedback and suggestions on the revised zones.

Kansas Education Employment Board (KEEB) Redesign Initative

2007-08-02T13:46:00.001-07:00

The powerpoint below contains information about new initiatives currently under construction in the new Kansas Education Employment Board. These initiatives are based on feedback from focus group input made up of superintendents, special education directors, human resource directors, and KSDE staff.

Web 2.0 and Recruiting

2007-08-02T13:39:00.000-07:00

Listen to Jobster CEO Jason Goldberg talk about web 2.0 and its effect on business models. The following web 2.0 tools are being considered as an addition to KEEB to increase recruitment efforts in Kansas

Facebook
My Space
Youtube
TeacherTube

Vicki O'Neal Shares Her Experience

2007-08-02T11:16:00.001-07:00

Listen to Vicki O'Neal as she talks about her experience teaching in a rural Kansas school district.

Kansas Teaching Jobs Employment Building

2007-08-02T10:32:00.000-07:00

Take a tour of the Kansas Teaching Jobs Employment Building in Second Life. Here, schools can participate in virtual job fairs and interviews with applicants from across the country. To learn more about Second Life visit http://sl.greenbush.us/