Webinar Replay: Hire, Train, Retain
Topics: Curriculum and Instruction, Health and Wellness, Middle Level, Principal Pipeline, Professional Learning, School Culture and Climate, Student Engagement
“The reality is even the things I’m going to share here with you today, you may not take and need all of them, but they might remind you of something you used to do, of someone else you need to know, of questions you might have. And that is one of the best things about this.“
The “Hire, Train, Retain” webinar featured Todd Nesloney, Director of Culture and Strategic Leadership at the Texas Elementary Principals and Supervisors Association. Nesloney shared practical strategies for creating diverse interview committees, tailoring professional development for all experience levels, and fostering a positive school culture to boost staff retention.
Key Takeaways:
- Value Individual Contributions: Emphasize the human aspect of education by recognizing and valuing individual contributions from staff members.
- Diverse Interview Techniques: Utilize diverse interview committees and AI tools like ChatGPT to generate unique and thought-provoking interview questions.
- Post-Interview Communication: Ensure clear communication with applicants post-interview and avoid ghosting by sending handwritten notes to acknowledge their effort.
- Tailored Professional Development: Categorize teachers into newbies, growing, and experienced, and tailor professional development (PD) to their specific needs.
- Mentorship and Training: Assign mentors to new hires, conduct monthly check-ins, and bring in trainers to address specific areas of weakness for growing and experienced teachers.
- Positive School Culture: Foster a positive school culture through monthly awards, positive phone calls home, and continuous teaching by administrators.
- Personalized PD Importance: Recognize the importance of personalized PD, such as book studies, and encourage staff to attend PD sessions and share learnings with the team.
- Staff Retention Strategies: Address staff retention challenges by celebrating staff, encouraging growth, and fostering a collaborative and supportive environment.