School board leader writes about questionable hiring practices in Hazleton, PA

[madfloridian]

I think many are noticing that the laid-off experienced teachers with higher salaries are being left behind while the districts are paying to recruit teachers from private firms, or going outside the area to hire.

From the Hazleton Standard Leader:

Another questionable teacher hiring expected

Because retirements of district teachers must be made known by the middle of April each year, school administrators and the board were aware of most of these vacancies by May 1. The hiring policy in effect at the time made it clear that administrators should have been advertising and reviewing applications to fill these positions as soon as we know about them. But that didn't happen. Other districts snapped up the best candidates. In the Hazleton Area School District, no recommendations for any new hires were made to the board in May, June or July.

We minority members of the board found out why in mid-July when we were presented a new version of the hiring policy dumbing down minimum requirements to teach in the district despite an abundance of well-qualified candidates.

Then, within a three-week period, administrators said they reviewed hundreds of applications, interviewed and checked the backgrounds of some 191 of them, and came up with a list of 41 names to hire. Some of the candidates had very good credentials, while others were obviously poorly qualified but had some connection to a board member, administrator, or local politician. Four of us on the board chose not to vote for any of them because of the selection process, but the five-director majority hired them all.

So, once again, the Hazleton Area School Board has given a number of well-paying, guaranteed 30-year jobs to friends and family. And the students be damned.

I understand that, at the public meeting tonight, the board will be filling another secondary teacher vacancy that has suddenly appeared. Word has it that the powers-that-be want to give the job to a barely qualified but politically connected elementary-certified teacher with mediocre credentials from an on-line college who was way down on the elementary hiring list. This despite the fact that the next person on the list of secondary-certified applicants in that teaching specialty has excellent credentials from a well-known university. Who do you think will get the job?

This is called leaving school board members behind, giving them little say....they should be controlling the process.

Apparently this district is using a dumbing down approach to hiring teachers. Here is an editorial from Hazleton's Standard Speaker.

Teacher hirings should have us mad as hell

It's about time taxpayers in the Hazleton Area School District start demanding more for their money. They should be outraged at the total disregard school board members seem to have for them. Like anchorman Howard Beale in the movie "Network," we should be saying we're mad as hell and we're not going to take this anymore.

At a time when public officials in northern Luzerne County are facing jail time for corruption, HASD directors continue to practice blatant cronyism and nepotism with no regard for the public.

It's outrageous that politics - not competence - is the deciding factor when it comes to appointing teachers.

There's more to the problem than simply gypping taxpayers. The real disgrace is that the district's hiring practices will continue to damage students who already have the misfortune of attending classes in one of the worst-performing school districts in northeastern Pennsylvania.

Unfortunately, the public remains apathetic. Earlier this summer, when the board announced it was going to lower minimum academic standards for prospective teachers, three school directors objected and the Standard-Speaker complained in an editorial. Yet, there was nary a word of protest from the public and the board went ahead with its idea to "dumb down" their standards.

I hate to tell him but the public doesn't understand what is going on. If they understood would they care? I don't know anymore.

A couple of weeks ago, the board hired 41 teachers seemingly out of the blue. Many applicants never got a call for an interview and many who did land interviews received only cursory examinations. Some of the 41 teachers who were hired may be well qualified, but it's a good bet that most of them are connected to school directors and administrators.

Bypassing school boards in hiring teachers is not a good idea. Leaving behind those who were laid off...an even worse idea. But it is happening all over the country.

[Diane R]

1. People all over the country have lost jobs, not just teachers.

Unemployment is happening to a lot of people in all fields who don't deserve it. And a lot of young college graduates have to work in coffee shops at minimum wage. I know it's nice for people to be in a field with built in job security and tenure, but few professions have that luxury.

A lot that is going on right now is not fair.

[sulphurdunn]

4. True enough, but

what does it have to do with this post?

[proud2BlibKansan]

11. This justifies even more professionals losing their jobs?

Is that your point?

[Diane R]

17. My point is I wonder why so much wringing of the hands for one profession, and not all the others.

[proud2BlibKansan]

18. Where is your evidence that no hand wringing is going on for other professions?

Your point would be incorrect. We are in the middle of the largest unemployment crisis in our lifetimes. There is plenty of hand wringing for lots of jobs lost. However, those who like to bash teachers are desperate to find a platform for their criticism.

In other words, FAIL.

[Lugnut]

2. This stuff has been going on for decades in the HASD.

Here's the link for the newspaper that's publishing the information. There's a letter to the editor from a candidate for available positions who ended up in the employ of a nearby school district. It's mind-boggling.

http://standardspeaker.com

[madfloridian]

3. I think this is it. Yes, mind-boggling.

http://standardspeaker.com/hazleton-area-s-hiring-process-sent-me-packing-1.974657

It's too long and too hard to snip...but well worth the read. What a difference in the two districts.

[chervilant]

5. OMG!

Well, well, well...

Thanks for yet another important post about yet another challenge to a potentially healthy, productive system of public education (and, yes, I still believe that our country can achieve such an ideal).

Here in the greater Houston Metropolitan area, I have been warned by veteran teachers to 'belong to the right church,' or to 'display the proper political stance' if I hope to obtain a teaching position. I've been told not to bother applying for certain positions, because 'the principal (or someone else in power) has a specific candidate in mind.'

I have come to the conclusion that--as with any other career--teaching is an insular employment opportunity, to whit: who you know, and who you are in your personal life (your religion, your politics) are key determinants of your eligibility.

It bears repeating that you must NOT be too smart, or too articulate. I have been warned to 'dumb down' so that I won't intimidate hiring committees. How ironic is that?!

Your final sentence is the most important: this IS happening all over the country. An inchoate, desperate, convulsive response to increasingly poor standardized test scores, and rising dropout rates--yes, let's just blame the teachers. That's the ticket.

[LWolf]

15. It depends on the makeup of the district and school you're applying to.

I was part of a hiring committee today; we interviewed 4 candidates for a last-minute opening. We reviewed their files; they all answered the same questions, and we discussed and ranked them when we were done.

Interestingly, our rankings were all the same. We knew one candidate going into the interviews. We'd worked with her in a different capacity, we all liked her and probably favored her because we had prior knowledge and experience with her, yet, when we ranked candidates, she came in 2nd. Our first choice was simply better qualified; had a depth and breadth of experience that she didn't bring to the table.

We're hiring him, not her.

[chervilant]

22. Thanks

Perhaps you can tell me if it's true that hiring committees don't want a candidate who's "too smart" or "too articulate." Do you think ageism plays a role in hiring decisions? I am a math teacher, and I cannot get a position. I was recommended for a high school position, but the district's HR would not let them hire me because I have yet to pass my Math 8-12. I am currently prepping for that exam, boning up on both trig and calculus.

Any advice?

[LWolf]

23. I guess it depends on the hiring committee.

I think what the hiring committee wants will be different from school to school, district to district.

If a school has a particular program, structure, philosophy, they want new hires to adopt those things. They may be looking for followers, not leaders. Someone who wants to go their own way and do their own thing might not be seen as a "team player." In this case, when you are looking for a job, you've got to be willing to BE that team player, even if the team's focus isn't where you were wanting to go. Once you are part of the team, you begin to offer your ideas from the inside, and see if they can be incorporated. Or you are, within a few years, able to transfer within the district to a school that is a better fit.

This isn't true in every school or district, though. Smart and articulate ARE important. The hiring committee I was on was looking for the best fit for our school, AND for the person we thought would best serve our students.

When you interview, try to find out something about the school ahead of time, so you can direct your responses towards that particular school. Remember to present yourself as a team player.

And good luck!

[chervilant]

6. OMG!

Sigh...

DU's error msg said my post failed.

[chervilant]

7. OMG!!!

duplicate post, received an error msg and reposted.

Sorry.

[Jefferson23]

8. I found this email I received today from Grayson pretty interesting:

My Five Children go to Public School." Now, there's a wedge issue.

The right wing has spent the last 30 years trying to gut public education in America. Waging a war on teachers' unions. Destroying public pensions and other benefits. Crushing the local tax base. Diverting funds to private schools. And trying to turn public schools into test prep centers, offering factory education.

Who will stand up for public schools in America?

Me. I will.

With our first TV spot of this campaign, "Alan Grayson Saved Our Schools":



Will you stand with me? Will you make a contribution to keep our TV spot "Alan Grayson Saved Our Schools" on the air?

I went to public school. My mother and my father were public school teachers their whole working lives. My mother lives on a pension that the right wing wants to take away from her.

And my Republican opponent? He home-schooled all his children. He raises money for an organization that says that public schools teach children "suicide." He voted to cut $1 billion in state aid to schools. And he pushed to take away public school money, in order to fund private school vouchers.

So he surely can't say, "I send my five children to public school."

Isn't it about time that people like us had something to vote for? And someone to vote for? Or does every election have to be a choice between the lesser of two evils?

In 2008, our TV spot "Briefcase" won the Pollie Award for Best Political Ad in a Congressional campaign. And - miracle of miracles - it was a positive ad. It didn't trash anyone. For once, it made people feel like voting for someone.

And now we're doing it again, with our ad "Alan Grayson Saved Our Schools." Will you support this ad, and our schools?

Yes, we brought $200 million into the district, and yes, we kept the schools open. And yes, we're proud of it. Because we need strong public schools. No apologies. Because public schools are the backbone of America. They are the foundation of the Middle Class.

Our TV spot is already a rousing success. Yesterday, the Washington Post, which reviews ads in 500 races around the country, called it the "Ad of the Day." The Hotline, which also reviews political spots from everywhere, says that it is "the most positive ad" that "we've seen so far."

Our campaign is going to spend $100,000 on this advertisement, over the next week. If 2,000 of us chip in $50 each, we can pay for the whole run. Will you help?

This is the campaign you have been paying for. It's a campaign of which you can be proud.

Truth,

Alan Grayson



the link is to the vid at dailykos

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2010/8/26/896530/-The-Alan-Grayson-Saved-Our-Schools-Ad-Is-A-Must-See


So what is the deal here, he is going to end up fighting Arnie but blame the Republicans for it?

[cjbgreen]

9. Bypassing school boards and devaluing teachers

Devaluing teachers and teaching as a profession is being marketed and funded by “charitable capitalists” our friends the Waltons, Bill Gates and Eli Broad. If this administration seriously believes that effective teachers are important wouldn’t teacher preparation be critical. And wouldn’t there be an effort to assure that every teacher has at their fingertips the resources that supported effective teaching? Wouldn’t there be resources dedicated to assuring that all teachers had consistent, adequate preparation time? And then hold teachers accountable? Instead, as you’ve noted inexperienced, poorly (if at all) teachers are being hired. In New York City the model for RTTT, that relies on TFA, the graduation rate for African-American males is 29 percent” and improvement in student performance has not improved. If inexperienced, untrained teachers fail more proof that schools are bad and teachers are terrible and more reason to eliminate pesky pensions, collective bargaining and turn schools over to private companies who can profit from curriculum, uniforms, text books, after school activities and market their products or ideologies.
http://www.rochestercitynewspaper.com/news/articles/2010/01/COMMENTARY-Mayoral-control-doesnt-work-and-is-wrong/.

[madfloridian]

10. Those "pesky" pensions are one of the main reasons for this.

Getting rid of them is one of the goals.

[proud2BlibKansan]

12. Isn't Hazelton the community that passed that horrible anti-immigrant law?

Or was that another city in PA?

[madfloridian]

13. Seems that way. I had not heard that. link.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,203513,00.html

"HAZLETON, Pa. — Illegal immigrants seeking to make a home in this northeastern Pennsylvania city could face barriers to finding a home and job after the city council passed one of the nation's strictest ordinances to fight illegal immigration.

City documents would be printed in English, landlords would face $1,000 fines for each illegal immigrant found renting their properties and business who employ illegal immigrants wouldn't be granted licenses.

• Visit FOXNews.com's NEW! Immigration Center

The ordinance, designed to make the city one of the most hostile in the country for illegal immigrants, passed on a 4-to-1 vote after two hours of passionate debate.

"The illegal citizens, I would recommend they leave," said Mayor Lou Barletta, who said he wore a bulletproof vest to the vote as a precaution because the issue was emotionally charged."

[LWolf]

14. Clarification

The process in the districts I've worked in is this:

The prospective teacher turns in the application packet to the district office. The human resources dept. checks to be sure the packet is complete and the applicant has met all requirements.

School principals and/or school site hiring committees go through the applications at the district and select some candidates to interview. After the interviews, the principal or the committee makes a recommendation to the board to hire the candidate they've chosen. Unless the candidate is unqualified, the board approves.

I've never worked for a school district whose board decided which applicants would be hired. That's always been a school site decision. Teachers are often hired and begin work before the next board meeting, when the board votes to approve their hiring.

The school board DOES set hiring practices; in the districts I've worked in, they've never gotten involved in the actual hiring, except for the district Superintendent.

I spent 4 hours in interviews today; we need a last minute teacher, since one staff member transferred to another district just last week. We reviewed the applicants and selected some to interview Monday and Tuesday, and did the interviews today. The applicants will hear the results from our principal, who will recommend that the district hire that person, and send required documentation off to the district. Our human resources department will put the paperwork process on a fast track, since there's only a few days until school starts. Our new teacher will be in the classroom before the next board meeting.

The problem in Hazelton seems to be that someone else decided to change policy and present it to the board, when it should have happened the other way around. It's good that the board recognizes bad hiring practices; they will hopefully take action.

Hopefully, the union will, as well. Taking on new hires when you haven't called back your RIF'd employees is not okay. Suddenly, after all the RIFs in the last two years due to budget cuts, we're seeing this happen in numerous districts. The NEA and the AFT need to be all over this.

[Lugnut]

16. There is no human resources department at the HASD.

There are more than 10,000 students currently enrolled in the district and approximately 730 teachers employed to teach them. It seems to me that a human resources department must exist in this situation but the school board refuses to go there.

As a rule, the school board has always had control of the hiring process. Now and then a majority of board members will temporarily succeed at putting in place a hiring policy that is more heavily weighted toward a hiring process that focuses on GPA scores and experience rather than cronyism. These efforts have typically been short-lived. Truly dedicated board members bail out in disgust and are replaced with hand-picked candidates to run for election so the cronyism can continue. I don't ever remember a time when this wasn't the case.

[LWolf]

19. It sounds like a human resources department is the logical step.

The board can do that. Perhaps the public needs to pressure those board members who want to see the hiring process improved.

[madfloridian]

20. Unless it has changed in our area...

the school board must okay hirings. I don't remember their being involved in the actual interviews and hirings, but they had to play a role in approving.

[LWolf]

21. In my districts, as well.

Except for the person was often already done with processing and working by the time the board officially approved them.

I've never really understood that, except for situations in which someone resigns at the last minute, school is starting in a few days, and the next board meeting isn't for 2 weeks.