Is Anyone Else Struggling to Deal with Recruiting CTE Teachers?
Hello everyone, my school district has had trouble over the last several years recruiting teachers. It seems the challenge has gotten worse since the pandemic and I'm wondering if anyone else is dealing with this issue and what tips you all may have for how to tackle it. Any advise would be appreciated. Thank you!
Hi John, yes, this is a major challenge for a lot of people I think. I can't say I have discovered some secrete solution but what I can say is instead of just thinking about recruiting teachers, think a lot about retaining the teachers you already have! This may or may not be a challenge for you as your retention may already be great but since it is so difficult to find new teachers, retention should be a priority. We have increased our focus on teacher recognition programs, and when we do have new teachers, we heavily prioritize professional development. We also started a mentorship program for new teachers pairing them with experienced teachers. Mentors simply make themselves available for tips/advice but it makes a big difference. I would love to hear what others do to address this challenge - thanks for raising the issue.
ACTE had a webinar on this topic highlighting Montana's approach to recruiting CTE teachers. You may get some good insights. I've embedded it for you here but also in case anyone else may benefit from watching it.
