With the start of a new calendar year comes the desire, some might say pressure, to declare a New Year鈥檚 resolution. But its very , 鈥渁 promise to do something differently in the new year,鈥� is at odds with the way that school systems typically operate.
It took a global crisis to force immediate, uncomfortable, and immense change in the way schools are run. While remote and hybrid learning during the pandemic were not perfect, they did open educators鈥� eyes to new ways of teaching. 鈥淲e realized that there鈥檚 far more we can do than we allowed ourselves to do before the pandemic,鈥� said Andi Fourlis, superintendent of Arizona鈥檚 Mesa Public 69传媒.
As ongoing teacher vacancies persist in districts throughout the country, perspectives like Fourlis鈥欌�攚hich consider what鈥檚 possible first rather than simply reverting to old, pre-pandemic practices鈥攚ill be paramount for building more flexible strategies to recruit and retain good educators. Education Week spoke with human resources professionals and administrators, who shared how they are trying to think outside the traditional box and make this happen.
Treat employees like professionals
When asked what today鈥檚 job candidates in K-12 education are asking for, Brian White offered a response that would鈥檝e been mostly unheard of in pre-pandemic times: 鈥淔lexibility around where and when they work,鈥� said White, executive director of human resources and operations for the Auburn-Washburn school district in Topeka, Kan. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 what people want.鈥�
That doesn鈥檛 necessarily mean teachers and other school employees are requesting totally remote or even hybrid positions, as are many workers in other sectors of the economy. They may be satisfied with subtle but important shifts in how they鈥檙e treated, White explained.
鈥淪ometimes, that flexibility comes down to treating people like professionals,鈥� said White. For instance, it could mean giving teachers the option of choosing their work location during designated 鈥減rofessional days鈥濃�攚hether that be at home, a coffee shop, or in their classroom鈥攔ather than dictating that they report to the school building.
For some employers, not being able to literally see their employees during the workday can be a difficult adjustment. But if they鈥檝e hired people they trust, treating them like the professionals they expect them to be shouldn鈥檛 be a stretch.
Find creative solutions to keep top employees
It鈥檚 not uncommon for employers to turn down an employee鈥檚 request, such as a more flexible work schedule, simply because it鈥檚 never been done before or the existing system isn鈥檛 set up to support the change. But if saying 鈥渘o鈥� means risking the loss of a valued employee, it may be worth trying to find a creative solution.
Melonie Hau, superintendent of Oklahoma鈥檚 Duncan Public 69传媒, explains how a principal in her district did just that.
One of the district鈥檚 top special education teachers, who had more than 30 years of experience, had increasing family responsibilities that were going to limit her ability to work the schedule her school was accustomed to. As a result, she was considering retiring.
The school risked losing the teacher鈥檚 skills and expertise if it was unwilling to be flexible.
鈥淩ather than lose all of that expertise, we asked if she would be interested in mentoring/coaching our first and second year special education teachers,鈥� Hau said.
Before the school鈥檚 principal and the teacher reached an agreement for the teacher to work as an independent contractor rather than an employee, the two parties had to negotiate expectations鈥攆rom hours worked each week to an hourly pay rate and job responsibilities. But Hau said it was worth the additional time and energy required of the principal to find a creative way to allow this very experienced teacher to continue to have an impact in her building.
Know that expectations will differ for part-time workers
If a school has only one or two part-time teachers among its faculty members, it can be easy to inadvertently overlook their unique work situation. But doing so can lead to dissatisfaction and possibly an earlier-than-desired end to the unique work arrangement.
Melissa Sadorf, superintendent of Arizona鈥檚 Stanfield Elementary School District, elaborates: 鈥淲e鈥檝e had to be flexible. We know we have this part-time teacher, and we need to make sure we鈥檙e being responsive to her needs,鈥� she said. 鈥淭he expectations need to be different.鈥�
For instance, Sadorf said the school cannot expect the part-time teacher to be at a faculty meeting on a Friday afternoon if she鈥檚 not scheduled to work that day.
Don鈥檛 lose sight of the big picture
When the special education teacher that the Duncan Public 69传媒 transitioned from a full-time employee to an independent contractor first shared her desired hourly pay rate, it was met with resistance. Then, said Hau, the school and district leadership considered the long-term value she could bring as a mentor鈥攅specially given the number of inexperienced and/or emergency-certified teachers that the more experienced teacher could potentially be mentoring. If she could help the school build the new teachers鈥� confidence and subsequently retain them, it could ultimately save the district money.
鈥淚f you think about her skill set, she really did deserve it,鈥� Hau said.
