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A report from the National Commission on Teaching and America's Future discusses the importance of making quality teaching and the recruitment of well-prepared teachers the top priority for policy makers. "It has been shown that standards that strengthen teacher knowledge are likely to make a substantial difference for the quality of teaching" (Darling-Hammond, 1999, p. 3). The report continues:
While new teaching standards may hold great possibilities for raising the quality of teacher preparation, these advances will have little import for students—and especially the nation's most vulnerable children—if school districts continue to hire teachers who are unprepared and to assign many teachers outside of their field of expertise...To achieve the educational goals we hold for all children, policy makers must proactively develop strategies that do not trade off student learning against haphazard teacher hiring. (Darling-Hammond, 1999, p. 4)
The goal of American education is to ensure that all students achieve the high standards necessary to lead fulfilling lives and become productive citizens (AFT, 2001). SLPs, as part of the teaching team, play a key role in reaching these goals. "As speech and hearing professionals, we are all very aware that communication disorders can restrict a child's learning and/or social-emotional development, and an adult's employability, general productivity, success, and enjoyment in life" (Logeman, 2000, p. 27).
It is estimated that with public school personnel retirements increasing annually and the effects of the "Baby Boom echo generation" driving up enrollments in student population, more than 2.4 million teachers will be needed in the next decade (National Center for Education Statistics, 1998, 2001). Reports also indicate that 20% of new teachers leave the profession within 3 years (National Center for Education Statistics, 1998, 2001). Reports also indicate that 20% of new teachers leave the profession within 3 years (National Center for Education Statistics, 2001) and that nearly 50% of all new teachers leave their jobs within 5 years in urban areas (Darling-Hammond, 1998). Innovative recruitment strategies are needed to address the critical projections of personnel shortages.
In a report on solving the dilemmas of teacher supply, demand, and standards, the National Commission on Teaching and America's Future (Darling-Hammond, 1999) outlined practical and effective strategies employed by many states and districts. Seven of these have potential for solving the problems that schools face in recruiting and retaining qualified SLPs:
- Raise teacher standards while equalizing teacher salaries.
Connecticut's 1986 Education Enhancement Act created a minimum beginning teacher salary and offered state funds to less wealthy districts so that they could reach the target. Within 3 years, Connecticut's cities went from having shortages to having surpluses of teachers, and the quality of teacher preparation and practice rose steadily, along with levels of student achievement.
- Establish licensing reciprocity across states.
With more portable licenses, states that currently have shortages can take advantage of the fact that 60,000 newly prepared teachers each year do not find jobs in the states where they prepared to teach, and many veteran teachers leave the profession when they move because license incompatibilities are too costly and time-consuming to overcome.
- Grant a license to out-of-state entrants who have earned national certification.
- Create national recruitment initiatives, streamline hiring procedures, and develop online information technologies. Several areas have organized local online information systems for hiring. Candidates can gain access to information about the specifics of vacancies over the Internet, apply by e-mail, be interviewed by videoconference, have their credentials evaluated by state and local officials, and receive an answer from the district within days rather than months. Districts that are able to recruit aggressively and to hire top candidates quickly and professionally do not suffer shortages experienced by districts only a few miles away.
- Create service scholarship programs to prepare high-ability candidates in fields where shortages exist.
- Expand teacher education programs in high-need fields like special education, using targeted incentives from federal and state governments to expand the number of slots offered.
- Create high-quality induction programs.
According to the Brookings Institution's Brown Center on Education Policy (2001), some of the problem stems from the distribution of shortages in certain areas. It suggests a few promising approaches that would bring teachers to areas of shortage.
- allowing teaching licenses to be transferable rom state to state
- expanding alternative routes to professional certification
- modifying uniform salary schedules
- offering incentives such as loan forgiveness and cash bonuses
- providing more resources to teachers and schools
A recent survey sponsored by the Bernard Hodes Group and Advance Newsmagazines titled "Talking to Talent/Allied Health Care Voices: 2005 Speech-Language Pathologist & Audiologist Survey" reports information that employers and professional groups may find useful in their efforts to attract and retain SLPs and audiologists. Here are some key findings that may be useful when developing recruitment materials:
Top reasons for employment are work schedules, compensation, and growth opportunities
- Job satisfaction is a key component in recommending others to a job opening by current employers.
- Loving their job and opportunities for advancement are factors for recommending the profession to another.
- Love of the job, helping others, and the challenges the profession offers are reasons that SLPs and audiologists would enter the profession again.
The survey contains some key observations and recommendations for retaining SLPs and audiologists based on the findings listed above. These are:
- Supervisors need training in techniques that keep people engaged, motivated, and performing at top levels
- Employers need to be open to flexible scheduling, job sharing, and other alternative work plans.
- Compensation should meet or exceed competitive ranges.
- Career paths should be well defined using performance-based promotions as an incentive for professional growth.
Some key observations and recommendations for marketing job openings are:
- Use techniques to encourage employee referrals such as generous paid rewards for referrals.
- Use a multifaceted approach to recruitment including employee referral, newspaper ads, the Internet, and a positive presence in the community.
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