Teacher Recruitment and Retention

Two of the questions I’m often asked at forums and out in the community are: how do we retain teachers and recruit new ones? My experience as a classroom teacher and teacher educator has given me insight into the solutions to both of these. In talking to current classroom educators, my solutions to what they want and need are:

• Pay increases on top of what our legislature plans to give
• Working with legislators to lower healthcare costs
• Professional development plans tailored to the individual needs of educators
• More efficient systems to streamline the process of completing state-required paperwork

Recruitment of highly-qualified teachers requires the following targeted approaches:

• Strategic plans to recruit from programs that have the highest quality teacher preparation requirements
• Paid student teaching internships to encourage candidates to stay in the district after they’ve completed their teacher preparation programs
• Streamlined hiring and onboarding processes so potential employees don’t get discouraged and take other offers

I have the experience and knowledge to ensure these goals are met along with my future school board colleagues. I want to ensure our schools are staffed yearly with competent educators who want to start and finish their careers in Arlington ISD.