Episode Details

Several weeks ago, I had the privilege of visiting Norman High School, in Norman, Oklahoma.

Dr. Scott Beck was recently named Oklahoma’s High School Principal of the Year, and I wanted to touch-base with him and tour his school. From the moment I entered the building until I left, I was impressed – not just with Scott’s leadership and connection with students, teachers, and team members, but also at the quality and professionalism of his team.

We walked hallways, observed classes, and visited with busy office staff. Office workers, counselors, librarians, teachers, teacher’s aids, and assistant principals – all of these team members were busy serving students, parents or colleagues. Parents were being treated with professionalism. Students were given ownership over their learning in classrooms. And Dr. Beck was demonstrating the same kind of excellence that I saw in his teachers and staff.

Why is hiring such an important part of your responsibility as a principal? First and foremost: because the students, teachers, and community members deserve high quality education experiences like the ones Scott’s school enjoys. And secondly: because the people in your school often reflect on your own leadership.

Although we cannot judge ourselves by the way others behave, school leaders are responsible for how others behave under their leadership, and hiring plays one of the most crucial roles in the kind of culture and environment a school provides.

Part 2 of Hiring & Retaining High Quality Teachers

This week, we dive into Part 2 of Hiring & Retaining High Quality Teachers. You can check out Part 1 here. As co-host Jen Schwanke, author and principal, and I share in this week’s podcast episode, there are several important ideas to keep in mind:

3 Tips for Hiring & Retaining Talented Educators

1. Know the difference between talent and skill.  You can teach skill. You can’t teach talent.  Enough said (but you can listen to the podcast episode for more).
2. Value your candidates. The way you treat candidates reflects on your leadership, and you never know when someone may be re-applying for a future position if this one isn’t offered. So remember:

• Show respect, kindness, and professionalism (Show the same courtesy you’d want to receive.)
• Remember others are out there talking about the experience
• Be open to working your schedule around candidates, not vice-versa.
• Keep in mind a number-2 candidate may later come back as a number-1. So treat everyone with dignity and respect.
• When possible, follow-up by phone with every candidate so that even those not chosen feel honored.
• Showcase your school’s vision, culture, and offerings. This IS a sales job for hiring the most excellent candidates.
• When the candidate pool is shallow, be creative: visit job fairs, go online, use social media, be open to interviewing remote candidates via video-chats.

3. Once you have hired a quality educator, here