March 13, 2023
School district staff working to prepare for contract renewals can use the details in this article to ensure best practices are in place and legal requirements are met.
tagged: "Educator contracts", "Employment contracts"
February 24, 2023
Districts exploring options for flexible work arrangements can look to their peers to see what is being offered.
tagged: Employment, Hiring, Retention
January 27, 2023
Understanding why teachers leave can help leaders develop and implement strategies that can result in fewer resignations during as well as at the end of the school year.
tagged: Hiring, Retention, "Teacher recruiting", "Teacher shortage"
December 07, 2022
An analysis of student-to-counselor ratios for elementary through secondary schools shows Texas ranked 23rd in the nation.
tagged: Employment, Recruiting, Retention
December 02, 2022
While school staffing shortages are common in today’s job climate, many Texas school districts are having difficulty filling bus driver vacancies due to challenges unique to the position.
tagged: Compensation, Hiring, Recruiting, Salaries
November 18, 2022
The research is clear: when school districts use staff surveys to seek input and respond to feedback in a meaningful way, employees are more likely to stay in their roles.
tagged: "Employee surveys", Retention, Staffing, Surveys
October 28, 2022
Indeed recently announced it will transition from a pay-per-click model to a pay-per-started-application and pay-per-application model with the intent of getting employers closer to the hire.
tagged: Employment, Recruiting
October 27, 2022
In the post-pandemic world job seekers are making more demands from employers, and they are increasingly about work environment and flexibility to promote better work-life balance.
tagged: Employment, Hiring, Recruiting, Retention
October 18, 2022
Effective communication throughout the recruitment and hiring process can result in employing more top talent in this competitive, tight labor market.
tagged: Hiring, Recruiting, "Teacher recruiting", "Teacher shortage"
October 12, 2022
With fewer college graduates pursuing careers in education and individuals exiting the profession, one Texas district has taken a new approach to growing their own.
tagged: Recruiting, Staffing, "Teacher shortage"
October 07, 2022
According to a recent Pew Research study, the increase in teacher diversity has not kept pace with that of the student population over the last several decades.
tagged: Diversity, Hiring, HR, Recruiting, "Teacher recruiting"
September 02, 2022
Districts have recently inquired about the possibility of bringing in nonemployee volunteers to be the cheer or drill team sponsor.
tagged: "Department of Labor", DOL, Employment, Hiring, Staffing
July 26, 2022
Due to the teacher shortage and dwindling applicant pools, districts are having to think outside of the box to implement more creative recruitment strategies to hire qualified teachers.
tagged: Benefits, Hiring, Recruiting, Salaries
June 29, 2022
TASB HR Services has updated the webinar Best Practices for Recruiting Quality Staff to include strategies to meet the challenges of recruiting during an educator shortage.
tagged: HR, "HR training", Recruiting
June 23, 2022
Requirements for posting vacancies and specific content to be included are addressed in Texas Education Code (TEC), local policy, and Title IX rules.
tagged: Hiring, Recruiting, "Teacher recruiting"
June 10, 2022
Physical requirements and expectations listed on a job description should be realistic and represent typical job duties for the role.
tagged: Diversity, Hiring, HR, "Job descriptions"
June 08, 2022
To hire for diversity, it’s important for HR departments and hiring managers to first recruit for diversity.
tagged: Diversity, Hiring, HR, Recruiting
May 23, 2022
Principals should provide relevant leadership opportunities and experiences to prepare assistant principals to be future successful campus leaders.
tagged: "Employee performance", "Professional development", Recruiting, Retention
May 20, 2022
School districts are experiencing staffing shortages for all positions, and many are searching for options to fill assistant principal vacancies.
tagged: Certification, Hiring, Recruiting
April 29, 2022
Recent staffing changes at the Texas Education Agency (TEA) provide an opportunity for HR Services to support educational entities with their service record needs.
tagged: Compensation, "Creditable service", Leave, "Personnel records"
April 14, 2022
An increase in the use of online student services, such as tutoring, has raised the question of what type of criminal history checks should be required of those leading the sessions or interacting with students.
tagged: "Criminal history", Hiring
April 08, 2022
Teacher residency programs are providing significant benefits to school districts, teacher residents, and the students they serve as teacher vacancies are on the rise.
tagged: Employment, Recruiting, Retention, "Teacher training"
February 21, 2022
Improving the applicant experience may help reduce the number of candidates who start but fail to complete the application process.
tagged: Hiring, Recruiting
February 18, 2022
At a time when school districts are already facing stressful staffing challenges, it is critical to be prepared to fill mid-year openings as efficiently as possible.
tagged: "Employment contracts", Hiring, "Teacher contracts"
February 04, 2022
Teacher vacancies, the shortage of qualified teachers, and teacher illness are a few of the reasons great substitute teachers are in high demand in Texas schools.
tagged: Hiring, Recruiting, Retention, "Teacher shortage"
January 24, 2022
HR staff are working hard to address ongoing staffing challenges brought on by the pandemic and more-than-typical mid-year resignations.
tagged: Employment, Hiring, "Job descriptions", "Pay increases"
January 21, 2022
The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) announced Texas will implement a waiver for commercial driver license (CDL) applicants seeking to operate a school bus.
tagged: Hiring, HR, Recruiting
November 05, 2021
Auxiliary departments in educational organizations are struggling to recruit staff necessary to appropriately meet student needs.
October 15, 2021
School districts across Texas are experiencing increased staffing shortages in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.
tagged: COVID-19, Retention, Staffing, "Teacher shortage"
August 30, 2021
To support Texas school districts in their quest to find certified and qualified teachers, HR Services is pleased to announce the addition of a Certification section to the HR Library (myTASB login required).
tagged: Certification, Hiring, HR, "Teacher certification"
July 26, 2021
Recently, fraudulent job postings are being discovered and reported on various job posting sites (e.g., Indeed, ZipRecruiter, CareerBuilder, LinkedIn).
tagged: Hiring, Recruiting, "Retire rehire"
July 22, 2021
An explanation on how school contractor criminal history background checks will be managed going forward has been released by the Texas Education Agency (TEA).
tagged: "Criminal history", Hiring, "Independent contractor"
June 30, 2021
The Texas Education Agency (TEA) has made updates to the Out-of-State Certified Educators and the School District Personnel Certification Information webpages.
tagged: Certification, HR, Staffing
June 14, 2021
During the thick of hiring season, school districts often have questions about posting job vacancies.
tagged: "Employee performance", Hiring, Retention, "Teacher onboarding"
June 10, 2021
School systems have multiple staffing options to meet the social emotional needs of students and support the work of school counselors.
tagged: Certification, Employment, Hiring, "Teacher certification"
June 01, 2021
Approximately 40 percent of new teachers leave the profession within five years, but teachers with mentors are more likely to stay, according to a recent study.
tagged: "Employee performance", Retention, "Teacher onboarding", "Teacher training"
May 28, 2021
The High Objective Uniform State Standard of Evaluation (HOUSSE) is a method used to determine a special education teacher’s subject matter competency.
May 26, 2021
Certain individuals employed by a Texas school district must hold licensing credentials from their state agency to perform services within their profession.
May 24, 2021
All educational aides employed in Texas school districts must be certified according to requirements established by the State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC).
tagged: Certification, Employment, Hiring, Nonexempt
May 18, 2021
Employers considering employing students over the summer months should review what job functions minors are permitted and prohibited from performing.
tagged: "Department of Labor", DOL, Employment, "Employment law", "Fair Labor Standards Act", FLSA
May 17, 2021
School districts struggle each year to fill teacher vacancies, and unfortunately, often employ substitutes when they cannot secure certified teachers.
May 13, 2021
As we approach the end of the 2020–2021 school year, it’s important to consider the stressors of the COVID-19 pandemic and how they impact staff retention and teacher burnout.
tagged: COVID-19, Retention, "Teacher shortage"
May 10, 2021
Districts have two types of waivers available to hire an individual who doesn’t meet permit or certification criteria: the teacher certification waiver and the bilingual exception and English as a Second Language (ESL) waiver.
May 03, 2021
A nonrenewable permit (NRP) may be activated for an individual who has not completed appropriate educator assessment requirements specified in Title 19 Texas Administrative Code (TAC) §230.21.
April 26, 2021
Part four of the teacher certification series focuses on the temporary classroom assignment permit (TCAP) used at the secondary level for a certified teacher assigned to teach one to four classes outside of their certification.
April 19, 2021
An emergency permit may be used when a district cannot secure an appropriately certified and qualified individual to fill a vacant position or when an educator doesn’t have the appropriate credentials for the assignment.
April 15, 2021
Quality succession planning is crucial to an organization’s success, and Hurst-Euless-Bedford (HEB) ISD is working hard to ensure the success of their district leaders through their leadership succession program.
tagged: Employment, HR, "Professional development", Staffing
April 12, 2021
The second part of the teacher certification series focuses on two nontraditional ways to hire uncertified individuals for teaching positions—a district’s District of Innovation (DOI) plan and a school district teaching permit (SDTP).
April 05, 2021
To help school districts meet the challenges of complying with certification rules, we are releasing a seven-part series on certification that provides a deep dive into routes to certify teachers.
March 23, 2021
A new school leadership research review commissioned by the Wallace Foundation found school principals impact student learning more than previously believed, ranking second only to teachers.
tagged: Diversity, Hiring, "Professional development", Retention
March 22, 2021
As HR departments ramp up their spring hiring, it’s a good time to review reference-checking processes and remind hiring managers to follow established procedures.
tagged: Employment, Hiring
February 01, 2021
To ensure the selection of the most qualified administrator candidate, HR should provide for an effective interview process.
tagged: Diversity, Employment, Hiring, Retention
December 04, 2020
Teacher candidates seeking certification in certain fields must successfully complete the new science of reading exam beginning January 1, 2021.
tagged: Certification, Hiring, Recruiting, "Teacher certification"
November 20, 2020
Nearly one in 10 teachers quit the profession after their first year and nearly one in three quit before their sixth school year.
tagged: "Professional development", Retention, "Teacher onboarding", "Teacher training"
November 16, 2020
Many have experienced the upheaval of their daily lives due to COVID-19, but steps can be taken to limit the effect of the pandemic on employees.
tagged: Hiring, Recruiting, Retention, Staffing
November 09, 2020
Recruiting a teacher is not just about accomplishing the hire, but about making an investment that can yield dividends or become a money pit when the teacher decides to part ways.
tagged: Recruiting, "Teacher recruiting"
November 06, 2020
Educational entities often require a high school diploma or General Educational Diploma (GED) for all positions, but the practice is not advisable.
tagged: Employment, Hiring, "Job descriptions"
November 04, 2020
The supply of newly certified teachers joining the profession dwindles.
tagged: Employment, "Teacher certification", "Teacher recruiting", "Teacher shortage"
November 02, 2020
As schools are dealing with classroom quarantines, enhanced teacher shortages, and other unexpected effects of the pandemic, having a quality roster of trained substitutes is more important than ever.
tagged: COVID-19, Hiring, HR, "HR training"
October 26, 2020
The 86th Regular Session of the Texas Legislature made significant changes to address early elementary literacy by adding an additional requirement for the prekindergarten through grade six (PK–6) certification examination.
October 08, 2020
As the 2020–2021 school year gets underway, districts are still struggling to find certified teachers to fill vacancies.
September 11, 2020
A sizeable increase in the state minimum salary schedule was triggered by the basic allotment increase in funding by House Bill (HB) 3 of the 86th Legislature.
tagged: Compensation, "Creditable service", Hiring, Salaries
September 02, 2020
Review of an applicant’s criminal history is a complex task and if not implemented accurately and consistently can be problematic.
tagged: "Criminal history", "Employment law", Hiring, "Texas Education Agency"
July 27, 2020
Educational entities seeking to battle systemic racism and improve equity within their own schools can do so by hiring educators and other staff who embrace diversity and strive for inclusive efforts to reach all students.
July 14, 2020
As the Texas Education Agency (TEA) rolls out instructional model options for next year, districts need to be prepared to make decisions about teacher assignments.
tagged: Hiring, HR, "Professional development", Recruiting
June 30, 2020
Providing effective onboarding experiences will help engage new hires, acclimate them more quickly to the district, and, in the long run, increase retention.
tagged: "Employee performance", Hiring, "Professional development", Retention
May 29, 2020
Years of research indicate teachers who receive instructional coaching improve their quality of instruction and make gains in student achievement.
tagged: "Employee performance", Hiring, "Job descriptions", "Professional development"
May 20, 2020
The Texas Education Agency (TEA) recently provided guidance on the pre-employment affidavit of an applicant offered employment.
tagged: COVID-19, "Criminal history", Employment, "Epidemic Response"
May 13, 2020
While schools are currently closed related to safety measures surrounding COVID-19, there are still some business processes, such as hiring, that must continue.
tagged: Employment, "Employment law", Hiring
February 24, 2020
HR Services’ Jennifer Barton speaks on the importance of supporting teachers including a fully developed orientation, professional development, and compensation.
tagged: Retention, "Teacher recruiting", "Teacher shortage"
February 13, 2020
House Bill 3 (HB 3) included a mandate that master teacher certificates will no longer be issued or renewed by the State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC) as of September 1, 2019.
tagged: Certification, "Districts of innovation", "Educator contracts", Hiring
January 31, 2020
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has released a new version of Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, effective immediately.
tagged: Hiring, HR, "Personnel records"
January 15, 2020
As principal retention rates decline, district need to find ways to prepare new campus leaders and improve local retention rates.
tagged: Hiring, HR, "Professional development", Retention
October 21, 2019
Districts tempted to hire a retiree through a third-party entity or as an independent contractor to avoid surcharges and annuity payment reductions should proceed with caution.
tagged: Hiring, HR, Rehire, "Retire rehire"
September 19, 2019
In late August, all current users for the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) secure site for ISDs received notice from DPS that effective September 1 DPS would no longer accept new requests from school contracting agencies for access to the DPS secure website because school contracting agencies would no longer have legislative authority to obtain Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) criminal history record information.
tagged: Hiring, HR, "Independent contractor"
September 05, 2019
SHRM reported the SSA is sending a second round of correction request notices, or “no-match letters,” this fall.
tagged: Employment, "Employment law", Hiring, Recruiting
September 03, 2019
The Texas Legislature continues to prioritize the safety and welfare of Texas students by refining reporting requirements for educator misconduct.
tagged: "Criminal history", Hiring, "Teacher resignations", Termination
August 19, 2019
Odessa College and UT-Permian Basin have teamed up to offer a three-year accelerated teaching program to tackle teacher shortages.
tagged: "Teacher certification", "Teacher recruiting", "Teacher shortage"
August 06, 2019
Learn the definition of an LSSP intern, the benefits of hiring one, and more in this Q&A.
July 30, 2019
A recent report in the New Jersey Herald highlights the importance of having and following established hiring procedures to ensure practices support the organization’s core mission.
tagged: "Employee performance", Employment, Hiring
July 15, 2019
The redesigned principal certification goes into effect this fall. Learn about it in this update.
tagged: Certification, HR, "Professional development", TEA, "Texas Education Agency"
Bilingual and ESL certifications continue to be state-level shortage areas, but some flexibility may be available based on the program model delivered by a school district.
tagged: Certification, Hiring, Recruiting, Retention, "Teacher recruiting"
June 10, 2019
With the EAE program, schools may have an untapped resource of potential teacher candidates among their currently employed educational aides in their district.
tagged: "Teacher certification", "Teacher recruiting", "Teacher shortage", "Teacher training"
May 28, 2019
Review the legislative changes addressing early elementary literacy, including a new requirement for the PK–6 certification examination.
tagged: Certification, "HR training", "Professional development", TEA, "Texas Education Agency"
April 16, 2019
Is there really a skills gap, or are employers' expectations unrealistic?
tagged: Employment, Generations, Hiring, Recruiting
April 15, 2019
There's a new report on researchers working to improve teacher hiring through a strategic approach to the application, screening, and interview process.
tagged: "Employee performance", Hiring, Retention
March 29, 2019
Taking into consideration indicators of teacher quality like experience, training, and certification, the teacher shortage we’ve been hearing about for years may be significantly worse than originally thought.
tagged: Recruiting, "Teacher recruiting", "Teacher shortage"
March 14, 2019
Many districts are offering or developing grow your own programs to address teacher shortages. One viable source of candidates is instruction aides.
tagged: TEA, "Teacher certification", "Texas Education Agency"
January 30, 2019
Probationary periods aren’t common in non-unionized settings and can be disadvantageous for school districts for a variety of reasons.
tagged: "Employee performance", "Employment law", Hiring
January 17, 2019
Learn about the TEA's plans to address teacher readiness and quality by establishing a new pathway to certification.
tagged: Certification, Hiring, "Teacher certification", "Teacher training"
January 16, 2019
As the roles of principals continue to expand and evolve, the certification standards for the position have changed along with them.
tagged: Certification, Hiring, "Professional development"
November 27, 2018
Check out the different ways Texas districts are staffing their classrooms and fighting shortages.
tagged: Staffing, "Teacher certification"
November 13, 2018
Many organizations believe orientation and onboarding are the same, but they’re two different experiences for new employees.
tagged: Hiring, "Teacher onboarding"
October 25, 2018
In both math and English, students saw drops in learning as a result of a teacher change during the school year.
tagged: "Teacher resignations"
October 23, 2018
This deep dive into how districts are recruiting in rural areas includes interviews with superintendents, who reveal some of the astonishing challenges they face each recruiting cycle.
October 01, 2018
Here's how districts are overcoming challenges in recruiting and retaining bilingual and ESL certified teachers.
tagged: "English as a Second Language", ESL, Recruiting, "Teacher recruiting"
September 10, 2018
When districts are unable to recruit and hire a fully certified teacher, they must use other avenues to qualify an instructor.
June 26, 2018
School districts can’t offer all the money and perks Google and Apple can, but what can districts do to recruit and retain talented technology staff?
tagged: Recruiting, Retention
May 22, 2018
A district wants to hire a retired teacher to tutor students three days a week for a couple of hours. What pay and benefits requirements apply to this situation?
tagged: Recruiting, "Retire rehire", "Teacher retirement", "Teacher Retirement System"
May 09, 2018
What should districts do if an employee presents multiple documents to establish identity and work authorization on the Form I-9? Find out in this brief Q&A.
tagged: Hiring
May 08, 2018
Navigating the process of verifying Social Security numbers through the SSA can sometimes be confusing, but we have some tips that may ease some common concerns.
April 27, 2018
A report by Texas Career Check found jobs in the education industry will be plentiful over the next several years.
tagged: "Teacher recruiting", "Teacher shortage"
February 20, 2018
A recent report from WalletHub, a personal finance website, found that Texas is the place to look for those seeking employment.
What are some of the TEA grants aiding districts in their recruitment of teachers and principals?
tagged: Recruiting
October 18, 2017
For HR administrators in Texas, it’s important to understand what’s behind the high turnover rates so you can better prevent teachers from leaving your district, or leaving the profession entirely.
tagged: Compensation, Retention, "Teacher training"
October 04, 2017
Texas prides itself on being different from other states—after all, we’re the only state that was once a nation—but how different are our teachers and students from the rest of the United States?
tagged: Employment, Hiring, Recruiting, Staffing
September 20, 2017
Learn about the causes of teacher shortages today and some of the staffing challenges districts are facing.
tagged: Recruiting, Staffing
August 23, 2017
It's tough to staff schools with quality tech employees, but there are some things a district can do to attract and retain elite tech talent.
tagged: Recruiting, Staffing, "Teacher recruiting"
August 16, 2017
CoachesConnect is a brand new web community for teachers, coaches, and administrators to network and find employment.
June 07, 2017
The onboarding process is a pivotal time in the hiring of a new employee. If done properly, it helps employers reduce turnover and employees form better relationships and understand job expectations.
tagged: Employment, Hiring, "HR training"
May 16, 2017
A new study of teacher demographics, backgrounds, experience, and work locations found that today’s workforce is larger, more diverse, and less experienced than ever.
tagged: Employment, Staffing, "Teacher shortage"
May 03, 2017
We’ve come up with a list of things to do to help recruit and retain bilingual teachers and overcome some of the staffing challenges many districts face.
tagged: "English as a Second Language", ESL, Recruiting
April 06, 2017
Established 20 years ago by the University of Texas at Austin, UTeach is a program dedicated to producing more effective math and science teachers in high quantities.
tagged: "Teacher training"
January 18, 2017
A new study by ManpowerGroup discovered nearly half of all global employers are lacking in the talent department.
tagged: "Professional development", Recruiting
The second half of this two-part story explores different practices from various districts on how they map out their teacher career pathways.
January 04, 2017
Career pathways provide opportunities for professionals with advanced skills and abilities to do more—and earn more—by taking on more complex work assignments.
Recruiting quality teachers is a challenge every district faces on an ongoing basis, but the difficulty in doing so is amplified for districts in rural areas of the state.
September 05, 2016
Amy Turner, principal of Copeland Elementary School (grades 2–5) in Huffman ISD uses a unique approach to develop teacher selection committees on her campus. Read about her process here.
April 22, 2016
Texas uses a combination of backgrounding systems to screen teachers, but certain flaws leave room for improvement in preventing hires of out-of-state educators with criminal histories.
tagged: "Criminal history", TEA, "Texas Education Agency"
April 01, 2016
Substitute teachers are in high demand, but what caused the shortage to begin with? We explore the multiple reasons districts are in need of subs now more than ever.
tagged: Hiring, Recruiting, "Teacher shortage"