Hiring the Best Certified Teachers and Administrators
In an earlier statement of my positions I stressed the importance of recruiting widely and aggressively to find the best possible candidates to fill openings for certified teaching and administrative positions. It really shouldn't be hard to figure out that the surest way to improve our schools is to hire the best people available. Simply recruiting more applicants, however, will not accomplish this. It is essential that we hire the best applicants from among those we have recruited. To this end, top performing school districts in Mississippi and throughout the nation make stakeholders part of the hiring process.
Districts accomplish this by having committees made up of teachers, administrators, parents (often PTO members), and sometimes school board members evaluate applicants for certified positions. Typically, these committees narrow down the applicant pool to a few of the best candidates and then recommend these few to whoever has the authority to make the final decision. Whoever makes that decision must pick only from among those recommended by the committee.
Obviously this process can take many forms. Let me share two of the most common models with you. In the case of a teacher hire, it is common to have three teachers, an administrator, and a parent on the evaluating committee. The teachers should be from the same subject area as the teacher being hired. The committee will go over all the applications and select about five of them to come in for interviews. Next, the committee conducts interviews to narrow the field down to the best three choices. Many districts actually have these finalists come in and teach sample lessons for further evaluation. Finally, the best three applicants are referred to whoever does the hiring. Even here, it is best not to leave the final decision to a single individual. It is best if a subject area teacher (the department head if there is one), the principal, and the superintendent make the final selection.
In the case of an administrative hire the process is pretty much the same except that the committee should be varied. The three teachers should come from three different subject areas, and a school board member should always be a member. Another difference is that, in this case, many districts leave the final decision to one person: usually the superintendent. Of course, in both cases (teacher and administrative hires) the school board must approve the final decision.
I have no doubt that this idea will be controversial. I believe most parents and taxpayers, however, will see the wisdom of involving stakeholders in the process of hiring the people who will shape our children’s futures. My guess is that those against it will be those who have up until now been making these hiring decisions without any oversight. History teaches us that oversight is essential in the public sector. Those unwilling to share their decision-making authority are in effect telling us that they know better than us, that our opinions are of little value, and that they don’t really care what we think.
If you’re thinking of voting for other candidates, ask them if they will be willing to share the hiring process with those they work for: you, the taxpayer. If they’re not, look for another candidate. It is time for the public to take back our public schools.
Until next time, may God bless you and your children.
Bob Mamrak
Saturday, April 28, 2007
Finding the Best teachers and Administrators
Finding the Best Teachers and Administrators
There are many factors that contribute to an effective school: parental involvement, student/teacher ratios, building facilities, and of course the money needed for supplies and so many other things. Our inability to completely control most of these factors is a constant challenge to public education. Fortunately, the single most important factor in providing a quality education to our children is absolutely under our control: the hiring of certified teachers and administrators.
You would be hard pressed to find a competent school administrator who would not agree that hiring the best teachers and principals available is the single most effective thing we can do to improve our schools. It should be obvious to everyone that the only way to hire the best certified people available is to look for the best certified people available. In the 20 years I have served our school district, this has not been the case. Rather than recruit the best educators available, we tend to select them from friends, family, and acquaintances. It is common for us to fill next year’s openings in the spring even though the pool of certified educators to choose from is larger in the summer. Too often positions are filled before the public even knows they are open.
I have been in contact with top-performing school districts in Mississippi and other states and have found that they attribute much of their success to recruiting widely and aggressively. Simply putting an ad in the county paper(s) is not adequate. There is much more we can do.
Perhaps our best prospect for recruiting the best certified educators is just 22 miles up the road. Mississippi State University turns out a new batch of teachers and administrators year after year. We should be actively involved in trying to convince the best and brightest of them to come to Choctaw County to work with our children. We should maintain regular contact with the MSU College of Education and the university placement service to increase our pool of prospects. Our children deserve no less.
Top performing school districts use many more recruiting techniques. Nearly all of them post every job opening they have with the Mississippi Department of Education so that teachers from around the state are aware of their vacancies. Many districts advertise their openings in our state’s large, regional, daily newspapers as well as their local weekly papers. Also, it is not uncommon to find recruiters from the best districts setting up booths at job fairs throughout Mississippi, especially at every Mississippi university that offers a teacher education program. In addition to these methods, some superintendents told me they actually call top-notch teachers and administrators who are employed and not really looking to change in order to persuade them to consider coming to a new district. When I received National Certification in English, a neighboring county contacted me to see if I’d be interested in working for them. We should be doing the same.
If I am elected Superintendent I pledge to do everything I can to actively recruit the best educators to work with our children. I will never settle for whoever is handy. If you’re leaning toward other candidates, ask them if they too are committed to finding the best available certified educators to work in Choctaw County. If they’re not, find a candidate who is. It is time for the public to take back our public schools.
Until next time, may God bless you and your children.
Bob Mamrak
There are many factors that contribute to an effective school: parental involvement, student/teacher ratios, building facilities, and of course the money needed for supplies and so many other things. Our inability to completely control most of these factors is a constant challenge to public education. Fortunately, the single most important factor in providing a quality education to our children is absolutely under our control: the hiring of certified teachers and administrators.
You would be hard pressed to find a competent school administrator who would not agree that hiring the best teachers and principals available is the single most effective thing we can do to improve our schools. It should be obvious to everyone that the only way to hire the best certified people available is to look for the best certified people available. In the 20 years I have served our school district, this has not been the case. Rather than recruit the best educators available, we tend to select them from friends, family, and acquaintances. It is common for us to fill next year’s openings in the spring even though the pool of certified educators to choose from is larger in the summer. Too often positions are filled before the public even knows they are open.
I have been in contact with top-performing school districts in Mississippi and other states and have found that they attribute much of their success to recruiting widely and aggressively. Simply putting an ad in the county paper(s) is not adequate. There is much more we can do.
Perhaps our best prospect for recruiting the best certified educators is just 22 miles up the road. Mississippi State University turns out a new batch of teachers and administrators year after year. We should be actively involved in trying to convince the best and brightest of them to come to Choctaw County to work with our children. We should maintain regular contact with the MSU College of Education and the university placement service to increase our pool of prospects. Our children deserve no less.
Top performing school districts use many more recruiting techniques. Nearly all of them post every job opening they have with the Mississippi Department of Education so that teachers from around the state are aware of their vacancies. Many districts advertise their openings in our state’s large, regional, daily newspapers as well as their local weekly papers. Also, it is not uncommon to find recruiters from the best districts setting up booths at job fairs throughout Mississippi, especially at every Mississippi university that offers a teacher education program. In addition to these methods, some superintendents told me they actually call top-notch teachers and administrators who are employed and not really looking to change in order to persuade them to consider coming to a new district. When I received National Certification in English, a neighboring county contacted me to see if I’d be interested in working for them. We should be doing the same.
If I am elected Superintendent I pledge to do everything I can to actively recruit the best educators to work with our children. I will never settle for whoever is handy. If you’re leaning toward other candidates, ask them if they too are committed to finding the best available certified educators to work in Choctaw County. If they’re not, find a candidate who is. It is time for the public to take back our public schools.
Until next time, may God bless you and your children.
Bob Mamrak
Mamrak to Run for Superintendent
By now you may be aware that I am running for Superintendent of the Choctaw County Schools. Unlike some of the other candidates, I am not a life-long Choctaw County resident. I did not arrive here by the circumstance of my birth. It is safe to say that none of the candidates chose to be born here. Some were just lucky. I, however, made a deliberate decision to live here. I’ve traveled throughout America, in Asia, Europe, and Latin America – but Choctaw County is where I chose to raise my family. When my parents got too old to care for themselves, I brought them to Choctaw County as well. I buried my Dad in South Union cemetery in 2005.
At this point it is customary to tell you all about myself. I’m not going to do much of that for two reasons: First, it would probably bore you. Second, I wouldn’t want you to vote for me because of who I am. I want you to vote for me because I understand what is wrong with Choctaw County’s schools and I know how to fix them. Still, for those who have no idea who I am let me say this: I am in my 20th year pastoring New Zion Baptist Church which was founded 165 years ago. Prior to my arrival, the longest any one man ever served our church was seven years. (Statistics show that Southern Baptist pastors serve their churches an average of about two years before moving on.) I’ve been married to the same wonderful woman for 36 years; we have two grown children and one grandchild. Call me if you want to know more, and I’ll tell you my life story.
I will, however, list my academic qualifications, as they are pertinent to the superintendent’s position. I have a bachelor’s degree in communications with a minor in public relations. I have a master’s degree in educational leadership. I have finished the coursework for a doctorate in educational leadership and should have my PhD before the year ends. I am a nationally certified English teacher, and I am certified by the state of Mississippi in English, art, journalism, and administration. I have successfully competed for government grants that I used to study the school systems in both Japan and Germany.
It is unlikely that I will come to your house and personally ask for your vote during this campaign. I firmly believe that one of our school system’s problems is that we tend to elect the most popular candidate for superintendent rather than the most qualified. That may be OK for high school yearbook Who’s Who elections, but it is a mistake when selecting the person charged with shaping the future of our children. The ability to knock on doors, hand out business cards, and shake hands are not the best qualifications for the superintendent of our schools.
Whoever you vote for in this election, please vote based on the issues. Above all, don’t vote for anyone who tells you that our schools are doing fine, and that there are no serious issues. Over the next few months I will address several different issues. Most of them, however, stem from one over-riding problem: the public has lost control of our public schools. For too long our schools have been run like a private business.
We say we want parental involvement when in reality we only want parental approval. We say we want to hire the best certified educators available when in reality we don’t recruit beyond our friends, families, and aquaintances. We allow public educators, paid with our hard earned tax dollars, to make decisions behind closed doors and without our input: decisions that will determine our children’s futures. Perhaps it is acceptable to run a privately owned candy store this way, but not schools established to serve the public. It has got to stop. It is time to take back our schools.
A serious discussion of the issues cannot take place in small advertisements, on yard signs, and on business cards. Therefore, I suggest that all the candidates appear before the voters in a public panel discussion where they can explain their positions and answer the public’s questions. In addition, I will post all of my positions and proposals on the Internet (http://bobmamrak.blogspot.com/) so voters can evaluate them thoughtfully.
Until next time, may God bless you and your children.
Bob Mamrak
PS: This article was initially posted on March 22, 2007. It was reposted when this blog was created.
At this point it is customary to tell you all about myself. I’m not going to do much of that for two reasons: First, it would probably bore you. Second, I wouldn’t want you to vote for me because of who I am. I want you to vote for me because I understand what is wrong with Choctaw County’s schools and I know how to fix them. Still, for those who have no idea who I am let me say this: I am in my 20th year pastoring New Zion Baptist Church which was founded 165 years ago. Prior to my arrival, the longest any one man ever served our church was seven years. (Statistics show that Southern Baptist pastors serve their churches an average of about two years before moving on.) I’ve been married to the same wonderful woman for 36 years; we have two grown children and one grandchild. Call me if you want to know more, and I’ll tell you my life story.
I will, however, list my academic qualifications, as they are pertinent to the superintendent’s position. I have a bachelor’s degree in communications with a minor in public relations. I have a master’s degree in educational leadership. I have finished the coursework for a doctorate in educational leadership and should have my PhD before the year ends. I am a nationally certified English teacher, and I am certified by the state of Mississippi in English, art, journalism, and administration. I have successfully competed for government grants that I used to study the school systems in both Japan and Germany.
It is unlikely that I will come to your house and personally ask for your vote during this campaign. I firmly believe that one of our school system’s problems is that we tend to elect the most popular candidate for superintendent rather than the most qualified. That may be OK for high school yearbook Who’s Who elections, but it is a mistake when selecting the person charged with shaping the future of our children. The ability to knock on doors, hand out business cards, and shake hands are not the best qualifications for the superintendent of our schools.
Whoever you vote for in this election, please vote based on the issues. Above all, don’t vote for anyone who tells you that our schools are doing fine, and that there are no serious issues. Over the next few months I will address several different issues. Most of them, however, stem from one over-riding problem: the public has lost control of our public schools. For too long our schools have been run like a private business.
We say we want parental involvement when in reality we only want parental approval. We say we want to hire the best certified educators available when in reality we don’t recruit beyond our friends, families, and aquaintances. We allow public educators, paid with our hard earned tax dollars, to make decisions behind closed doors and without our input: decisions that will determine our children’s futures. Perhaps it is acceptable to run a privately owned candy store this way, but not schools established to serve the public. It has got to stop. It is time to take back our schools.
A serious discussion of the issues cannot take place in small advertisements, on yard signs, and on business cards. Therefore, I suggest that all the candidates appear before the voters in a public panel discussion where they can explain their positions and answer the public’s questions. In addition, I will post all of my positions and proposals on the Internet (http://bobmamrak.blogspot.com/) so voters can evaluate them thoughtfully.
Until next time, may God bless you and your children.
Bob Mamrak
PS: This article was initially posted on March 22, 2007. It was reposted when this blog was created.
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