Maggie Byrnes is a fifth-grade teacher at Grassy Creek Elementary School, but two years ago she was still figuring out her future as a senior at Ball State University, pondering where she would start her teaching career.
She started her search with Teacher Recruitment Day, conducted at Clark-Pleasant Middle School, where she, along with 74 other teachers vied for open teaching positions in the district.
That was where her search ended.
Although she planned on attending more recruitment events at other school districts, Byrnes said when she received a $500 signing bonus offer from Clark-Pleasant, she knew the district was serious about their decision to offer her a position.
“I originally planned on going for more interviews,” Byrnes said. “After the offer I decided not to, knowing they were that committed. (The bonus) helped me with my move to Whiteland and helped me think this is the school I want to be at.”
Byrnes was part of the first class of teachers that received signing bonuses, a practice the district will continue this year for those who commit to work in the district before the summer. Anyone who commits to the district after being offered a job can receive a signing bonus by May 1, while first-year teachers can receive a bonus if they commit by May 31, Assistant Superintendent John Schilawski said.
The financial commitment of the signing bonus has paid dividends, Schilawski said. Out of the 39 signing bonus offers the district made to teachers during the last two years, only three of the recruits didn’t end up teaching at Clark-Pleasant schools, he said.
“A signing bonus helps to demonstrate that we are committed to the individual,” Schilawski said.
The issue of teacher pay has been a statewide topic that school districts, state legislators and Gov. Eric Holcomb is working to address. A statewide commission has been named to determine what is adequate teacher pay for Indiana teachers. In Franklin, a public ballot question has been proposed in an effort to raise more money to increase teacher pay, among other school district priorities.
While recruitment is essential for all school districts, Clark-Pleasant is the only Johnson County public school that offers signing bonuses.
Although Indian Creek offered $2,500 signing bonuses up until the 2016-17 school year for teachers specialized in areas such as math, English and special education, the district discontinued the practice after the number of applicants didn’t increase, Superintendent Tim Edsell said. The district, however, can move teachers up on the compensation model, which pairs years of experience and degree level with salary, if they have competing offers from other districts.
Although Greenwood doesn’t offer bonuses either, spokesperson Lisa Harkness said the district offers a New Teacher Academy for new staff, which covers topics that include cultural competency, best practices in law, school finance, effective discipline, technology integration and more.
At Clark-Pleasant, Teacher Recruitment Day has become increasingly popular for job candidates. In 2016, the event had 60 attendees. The next year, 75 prospective teachers showed up and last year the district interviewed 124 people. Of the 124, 16 were internal candidates, which include instructional assistants and other part-time employees. Of the 44 new teachers hired for the 2018-19 school year, 21 interviewed at the recruitment event, Schilawski said.
The others were hired through other job fairs and a standardized online application process.
The district recruits teachers by sending the registration link for teacher recruitment day to its list of college and university partners, along with posting the links to social media, on its website and various online job boards, Schilawski said. This year, registration for recruitment day started on Feb. 8 but it’s too early to tell how many attendees they will have total as registration takes place up until recruitment day, he said. Those who register early, however, have a higher chance of not being placed on a wait list, he said.
“Teacher recruitment is an ongoing thing and we have a strategic plan for doing that a lot,” Schilawski said. “It’s getting out, meeting people and getting to know candidates. There are existing teachers in other districts, people moving in from other states, it’s a very competitive thing for us and every district wants the best for its kids. We want the best for our kids.”
Whiteland Elementary School Third Grade Teacher Tisha O’Neill was interviewed during the district’s first teacher recruitment day in 2016 as an internal candidate, and said she recommends candidates attend the event.
“The big advantage is you get to network with a large number of administrators, teachers, instructional coaches within the district,” O’Neill said. “You’re not just meeting one-on-one with one person who makes a decision of yay or nay.”
Grassy Creek Elementary School Principal Trina Lake typically interviews eight to 10 candidates throughout the day. Interview questions are consistent from candidate to candidate and revolve around asking applicants how they keep students engaged, how they help students set goals for themselves and how they help students realize their full potential, Lake said.
“We look at people who are passionate and willing to help kids,” Lake said. “It creates excitement for their students.”
