Auerbach Central Agency for Jewish Education

Job Placement

Articles

Evaluating the TeacherLink Program for Recruiting Teachers into the Jewish Supplementary Schools

By Shelley Kapnek Rosenberg, Ed.D.
Director of Teacher Recruitment
Auerbach Central Agency for Jewish Education
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
October, 2002

Introduction

For a number of years, a significant crisis has faced Jewish communities throughout the country – the lack of educated, trained, and committed people to staff synagogue and Jewish community schools. Nationally, approximately 73% of those children who receive a Jewish education attend these schools. In the past, however, a significant number of schools opened each year without sufficient teachers. Many teachers who were hired were weak in basic Judaic content or had only minimal pedagogic training.

In response to this crisis, a resolution passed by Jewish educators attending the 26th annual Conference on Alternative in Jewish Education in August 2001 called upon the North American Jewish community and its leadership to make teacher recruitment, training, and retention a priority. A few communities have taken up the challenge and initiated teacher recruitment and training programs. Such programs are only now in their "toddlerhood." Moreover, very few of these programs include all three aspects of a comprehensive program – recruitment, training, and retention – which have been found to make a difference in helping a community move to a higher level of educational sophistication and excellence.

In a survey conducted by the Covenant Foundation in October 2001, fourteen responding organizations indicated that, with a few exceptions, they are conducting placement services, rather than teacher recruitment. In the words of the Survey Summary, "while they are matching resumes to open positions, they are not necessarily employing a formal recruitment program to solicit those resumes." Others are attempting to attract participants to training programs. However, "actual recruiting for the program participants is not part of a formal plan or strategy in most cases." Few of these organizations report having a staff person specifically assigned to recruitment and most do not have a designated budget line for recruitment.

It is no surprise, therefore, that very little research has been done on the recruitment, training, and retention of teachers. As was stated in the Covenant Foundation Survey Summary, "we know little about the effect that a strategic recruitment strategy, including a designated professional and a reasonable budget allocation, can have on our recruitment efforts." However, the Auerbach Central Agency for Jewish Education (ACAJE), in Melrose Park, PA, has had such a comprehensive recruitment program, called TeacherLink, with a professional director, since 1998. In the Greater Philadelphia area, ACAJE is the hub of the Jewish educational community’s recruitment efforts, since it is able to reach all of the schools and members of the community regardless of affiliation.

TeacherLink: A Description of the Teacher Recruitment Initiative

TeacherLink is the Greater Philadelphia Jewish community’s response to the teacher crisis in Jewish education. It has three main components: recruitment, training, and retention. Each of these is comparable to the legs of a tripod; without any one, the whole would collapse.

• Recruitment: In seeking to expand the customary pool of people from which to recruit teachers, TeacherLink attracts current supplementary school teachers desiring additional work, current and retired secular school teachers with Judaic knowledge, college students, and Jewishly knowledgeable members of the Jewish community-at-large who are pursing unrelated professions but are willing to acquire teaching skills. TeacherLink has developed its own computerized database (Morim Match) to provide principals with names of, and pertinent information about, people interested in teaching positions. TeacherLink also works with area Hebrew high schools and day schools to inform graduating high school seniors about opportunities in Jewish education, both during and after college.
• Training: TeacherLink offers free training in general teaching methodology and in teaching specific Jewish content areas to those who require such preparation. Seminars include: Giborim – An Introduction to Teaching in Jewish Supplementary Schools; Giborim II – Practice Teaching; and five More for Morim Seminars entitled How to Teach Hebrew, How to Teach Prayer, How to Teach Holidays, How to Teach Bible, and How to Teach with the Arts. The Giborim seminar is 30 hours, including six hours of observation in a supplementary school classroom. Each of the other seminars is 10 hours long.
• Retention: TeacherLink offers to pair new teachers with a trained mentor who can provide insight, answer questions, and share educational experiences. The Novice Teacher Support Seminars, which meet monthly, provide an opportunity for new and novice teachers to discuss issues of concern with colleagues and an experienced mentor teacher.

A Description of the Research Project

In an effort to add to our collective knowledge about the challenges of recruiting, training, and retaining teachers, the TeacherLink program conducted a wide-ranging and in-depth survey of school principals who use the recruitment service and of potential and active new recruits for teaching positions. The data summarized here are based on responses from mailed questionnaires sent during January 2002, as well as the discussions of a focus group of six novice teachers conducted in April 2002. The data were analyzed by Dr. Joseph DuCette, Associate Dean of the School of Education of Temple University in Philadelphia. Forty of 56 school principals (71%) in the Greater Philadelphia area who received the survey returned it. Ninety-three of 486 potential and active new recruits (19%) who received the survey returned it. These were people who responded, in even a cursory manner, to the recruitment efforts of the TeacherLink program since its inception in 1998. Some of them are current or former teachers, some are continuing to enroll in training seminars while trying to find a teaching position, while others have made no further effort beyond their initial contact with the Recruitment Director in pursuing a teaching position in a Philadelphia area supplementary school.

The following report will summarize the research findings. The study provided valuable data about the recruitment initiative itself as well as about the candidates who desire to work in Jewish supplementary schools. This information can inform future planning in communities around the country as we work to improve Jewish education.

Results of the Research Project: The Program

One goal of the research was to learn what components of the TeacherLink program have been successful in recruiting, training, and helping to retain teachers so that communal leaders can better plan for the future.

Recruiting Teachers

• Was the recruitment program useful to the schools?
  The answer to this question was an unqualified "yes;" when school principals are offered a recruitment service they use it. More than half (55%) of the principals who responded to the survey have consulted with the Recruitment Director within the past year and an additional 25% have used this service in previous years. Principals discuss both the hiring needs of their schools and the individual candidates’ qualifications with the Recruitment Director. Many principals find this the most immediate and effective method of learning about potential candidates and contact the Recruitment Director at least weekly while they are recruiting teachers. The Recruitment Director, in turn, contacts principals known to be searching for teachers when a candidate who appears to be appropriate for their schools enrolls on the Database. Principals have made clear that they appreciate and value this individualized attention. Their comments in response to an open-ended question on the survey included:
  • "The Director of Teacher Recruitment was always available, helpful, and positive."
  • "The Director of Recruitment could not have been more helpful."
  • "The TeacherLink definitely helps in the recruitment of teachers. Keep thinking of all of these strategies and keep working so hard. I am very appreciative of what you do."
  The computerized database (Morim Match) has proven to be a useful tool. Sixty-three percent (63%) of principals report using it in the past year, while an additional 25% have used it in past years. At the time of the survey, the database was distributed approximately three times between April and September, the prime season for hiring. The principals’ only concern was that they would like to see the database updated more frequently. Therefore, during the spring and summer of 2002 it was updated monthly. Small, but significant, changes were also made to the printout so that it would provide more information in a format that is easier to read. These included leaving an additional space after every 10 names, placing additions to the list in bold print, and arranging vertical columns of information so that the most critical data appear closer to the name of the person. When asked whether the recruitment initiative had made a difference in recruitment and hiring in their schools, responses from principals included the following comments:
  • "It makes the potential pool bigger, gives the search a solid place to start, and makes people know they were really "chosen" not just "taken."
  • "It helps to know there is help in finding qualified staff."
  • "I acquired some teachers that otherwise might not have been available."
  • "It is at least something to work with. I really appreciate the effort."
  • "Some of my best teachers I found using TeacherLink."
  • "Contact with prospective teachers is easier."
  The overwhelming majority of principals (83%) intend to use the recruitment service in the future. Those principals who do not use the service are those who either do not need to hire teachers during a given year or do so using other sources, often calling on members of their congregation or referrals from current staff members.



• Did principals hire teachers found using TeacherLink?
  About half of the principals who responded had offered jobs to new teachers as a result of using TeacherLink during the 2001-02 school year. Thirty-three percent (33%) had hired one or more teachers. When teachers were not hired, it was often due to reasons outside of ACAJE’s control, such as a school’s hours, location, or salary, or the fact that the candidate had already accepted another job. There were, however, five principals who found that some candidates did not have sufficient Judaic knowledge or sufficient teaching experience. Although ACAJE offers a variety of seminars on teaching methodology, the Agency does not mandate participation and some candidates who would benefit from these classes do not take them.



• Did the community respond to the recruitment initiative?
  Again, the answer to this question is an unqualified "yes." The Greater Philadelphia Jewish community-at-large has had an overwhelmingly positive response to the recruitment initiative, with 486 inquiries about the program from its inception in 1998 until the start of the survey in the winter of 2002. Eighty percent (80%) of the 93 people who returned the survey reported that, after their initial conversation with the Recruitment Director, they were encouraged about pursuing teaching. Upon receiving the TeacherLink material, 60% registered with the program. Comments in response to an open-ended question on the survey included:
  • "I received a good deal of helpful information from the Director of Teacher Recruitment."
  • "The Director gave great insight into the program."
  This strongly confirms the positive influence of a dedicated professional in the position of recruitment director. In the Philadelphia model, the Recruitment Director is a former teacher and teacher trainer with many years of experience in Jewish education. The ability to speak to each individual knowledgeably and enthusiastically about teaching in a Jewish community school is crucial in helping people understand the job, the school milieu, and the children.
  
  The majority of people who did not register with TeacherLink after the initial interview with the Recruitment Director reported on the survey that they felt they did not have sufficient teaching background (96%), even though they were informed about the possibility of enrolling in free training. Others said that they did not have enough time to devote to training (12%).
  
  While the Recruitment Director has no direct control over the interviewing and hiring process in the schools, it is noteworthy that 25% of teachers who responded to the survey accepted at least one teaching position as a result of being registered with TeacherLink.



• How did members of the community learn about TeacherLink?
  Since its inception, the recruitment initiative has been fortunate to work closely with the publisher and editor of the area’s Jewish newspaper. At first, a large box ad for the program ran in the main section of the paper twice a month; it was later reduced to once a month. The thrust of this ad was to reach people who were not currently teachers and who would, therefore, not be looking for teaching positions in the classified section. This has been extremely successful, with 44% of survey respondents reporting that they called as a result of having seen the ad. If a community is able to partner with its local Jewish paper in this manner it can be an extremely important tool.
  
  Twenty percent (20%) of those who responded to the survey had heard about the program from someone they knew and 17% reported that their rabbi or the principal of their synagogue school had suggested the program to them. This is significant because the Recruitment Director has used a variety of means (a letter and referral form, phone calls, a High Holiday appeal, appearances at various meetings) to reach rabbis and principals and encourage them to use their influence in this way. This strategy does work and should be vigorously pursued.



• What recruitment strategies do principals use?
  When the Recruitment Director is aware of the strategies that principals use to recruit teachers, it is possible to help them improve on what they are already doing or to suggest other strategies to them. Principals utilize a variety of methods, in addition to TeacherLink, to recruit staff. This includes referrals from colleagues (18%), recruiting parents of children who are enrolled in the school and other congregants (40%), and placing advertisements in the region’s Jewish newspaper (35%). Some principals contact colleges in the area.
  
  The TeacherLink program provides a variety of recruitment materials for principals to use. Forty-three percent (43%) of principals who responded to the survey published TeacherLink recruitment ads in their synagogue bulletins, 55% displayed the TeacherLink recruitment brochure in their schools or synagogues, and 40% sent out TeacherLink recruitment messages on email. The Recruitment Director should remind principals of the effectiveness of these recruitment strategies and of the need to repeat a strategy many times, in other words, to saturate the market, because, as we have learned anecdotally, people often do not respond the first time they see an ad or brochure.
  
  Two important things have occurred since the survey was completed. In response to learning that principals were continuing to place classified ads in the Jewish newspaper, TeacherLink placed a display ad for the Morim Match Database in this section of the paper that ran for ten weeks between April and August 2002. In response, far fewer principals felt the need to run additional ads, saving money for their schools. And, a significant number of people saw this ad, contacted the Recruitment Director, and became part of the TeacherLink program.

Training Teachers

• What did principals report about the benefit of the TeacherLink training programs?
  Principals reported that TeacherLink training programs were an important part of professional growth opportunities for their teachers. Giborim [Heroes], the 30-hour core training program, is designed for candidates with little or no teaching experience. It includes material on lesson planning, classroom management, teaching strategies and techniques, approaches to both Judaic and Hebrew content, effective relationships with parents, attention to students with special needs, and the impact of the school culture on the classroom. Forty-eight percent (48%) of principals have recommended that a teacher enroll in the Giborim seminar and 50% have recommended that a teacher take one or more of the five 10-hour More for Morim seminars.
  
  Principals also reported that teachers who are new to the profession and have taken the seminar perform better than those who have not had this training. New teachers who have taken the Giborim seminar received a mean score of 3.56 (out 5.00) on a rating by principals of their general performance. Principals indicated that after this seminar, participants would benefit most from additional training in classroom management (43%), as well as lesson planning and communication skills. Some participants, it was noted, also needed to increase their Judaic content knowledge.
  
  Although principals were extremely positive about this training most did not feel that they could require it of current teachers. However, while only a few principals (2%) currently make participation in the Giborim seminar a condition of hiring, 45% indicated that they would consider doing so in the future. This is something that has been strongly suggested and would, we believe, have a positive effect on the participants who would come into the seminar enthusiastic about their new position and looking for specific help.



• What did potential teachers report about the need for and benefit of training?
  Training is an integral part of the TeacherLink program and one which potential teachers have clearly embraced. Forty-three percent (43%) of those who responded to the survey indicated that they had completed the Giborim seminar and 22% had completed at least one of the More for Morim Seminars. The main motivation for attending a training seminar was the desire to gain new skills (56%), as well as wanting to learn more about Judaism (33%) and connect with other Jewish educators (27%). Moreover, 44% indicated their interest in taking a more intensive undergraduate-level college course (for which they would receive a stipend to cover fees) that would prepare them for teaching.
  
  The primary reasons that prospective teachers gave for not enrolling in training programs was the lack of time to attend classes or that the location or time of the programs was inconvenient for them. ACAJE has attempted to address these issues by varying the location and time of the Giborim classes. It should be noted that a number of those who registered with TeacherLink are already experienced teachers and are solely interested in job placement. They may very well take advantage of other ACAJE programs that are offered for experienced professionals.
  
  When asked to comment on the Giborim seminar, respondents to the survey who had participated in the seminar made the following observations:
  • "The seminar gave me a lot of material, methods, ideas, and support."
  • "Even though the program was terrific, most informative, and helpful, I still feel less than adequate to be on my own in a classroom."
  • "Great information and resource. It was overwhelming at first, but I refer to the material regularly and wouldn’t feel comfortable teaching without this background."
  • "Many helpful techniques and advice enable me to be more efficient as an educator."
  In general, the data indicated support for the Giborim program. Most people (55%) felt that the program was an appropriate length. Ninety-eight percent (98%) of those who participated in the class reported that it encouraged them to teach and 68% of those who obtained a teaching position reported that it had been helpful to them as a new teacher.
  
  We believe that one reason for the success of the training component of the TeacherLink program has been its flexibility. Prospective teachers may enroll in the Giborim and More for Morim seminars in any order they prefer; there are no prerequisites. This allows people to fit classes into their already busy schedules and encourages those who are wary of a major time commitment to experiment with a shorter class first. It also allows people to tailor their professional development to their individual needs.

Retention of Teachers

• What efforts did principals make to retain teachers?
  A third critical component of the TeacherLink program is the retention of trained and talented teachers. Most principals made a concerted effort to retain experienced teachers. When the Recruitment Director is aware of these efforts, it is possible to offer assistance and advice, and to augment the school’s program. The most popular method of retaining teachers (utilized by 78% of those who responded to the survey) was through adjustment of the school’s salary scale, followed closely by recognition of a teacher’s excellence within the synagogue/school community (68%). Recognition can also be achieved on a more public basis by placing an ad in the Jewish newspaper congratulating a "Teacher of the Year," or an entire staff, on a year of excellence. A smaller, but significant, number of principals (48%) offered experienced teachers additional leadership roles in the school. Some principals (25%) have recommended an experienced teacher to ACAJE to be trained as a mentor, which pays them a stipend and is seen in the community as an honor.
  
  Schools also made an effort to provide opportunities for professional growth for their teachers. A vast majority (95%) encouraged teachers to attend ACAJE seminars and conferences and some (45%) were able to provide stipends for teachers to attend these programs. A significant number of schools (60%) invited guest speakers or conducted special programs for teachers during staff meetings or provided for other in-house opportunities for learning. Most principals (88%) distributed articles of interest to teachers for enrichment.



• What did the newly recruited teachers feel would help them stay in the profession?
  In discussing the TeacherLink program with the Recruitment Director, prospective teachers were extremely positive about the opportunities for professional growth and support that the program offers. Those who completed the Giborim seminar were especially interested in being matched with a mentor teacher (65%) and attending support/educational seminars (70%). They understand the benefit of this ongoing assistance during their first year of teaching. Forty-three percent (43%) also expressed interest in enrolling in the practice teaching seminar [Giborim II].



• What were some of the concerns of new and novice teachers about teaching in a Jewish supplementary school?
  Dr. DuCette, the TeacherLink program’s outside evaluator conducted a focus group of six participants, in April 2002. Each of these people had been participating in the Novice Teacher Support Group, one of ACAJE’s retention programs. Although all of the participants expressed general satisfaction with teaching, there were a few issues that some found problematic. Among the most commonly mentioned were:
  • How to deal with special needs students;
  • The lack of motivation among some students;
  • The problem with students of differing developmental levels within the same class;
  • The lack of support from parents and other adults in the school for what teachers were trying to accomplish;
  • The large size of some classes that made effective instruction difficult.
  This information can help ACAJE plan additional programs and, when conveyed to the appropriate synagogue leadership, may enable them to plan to correct certain problems within their own schools.

Results of the Research Project: The Prospective Teachers

A second goal of the survey was to learn about the prospective teachers themselves. The survey asked such questions as: who were their Jewish role models, what types of experiences in the Jewish community had they had as children and as adults, what motivated them to teach, whether they have changed jobs and why, and whether they are satisfied teaching within the Jewish community. This information may be able to guide future planning about who and how to recruit and how best to approach those people the community wishes to recruit.

• What did we learn about the Jewish backgrounds of people who choose to teach in a Jewish supplementary school?
  By far, people’s primary Jewish role model was a parent (56%). Other significant role models, although to a much lesser extent, included grandparents (20%), rabbis (17%), and teachers (15%). Most people (57%) had received a supplementary school education, and most (67%) considered it a positive experience. These people often explained to the Recruitment Director that they wanted to influence future generations of Jewish children in the way in which they were influenced as a child. Those who did not have a positive experience as children usually commented that they would like to try to provide a better experience for other children. Of those who responded to the survey, 39% had attended Jewish camps and (29%) had participated in Jewish youth groups. Eighty percent (80%) of those who have had some Jewish education as an adult consider it to have been a positive experience. Most (80%) are currently a member of a synagogue. The majority of people (75%) say that these positive experiences have influenced their current decision to become involved with Jewish education.



• Why did people choose to teach in Jewish supplementary schools?
  The dominant motivations for teaching were to give back to the community (62%) and to perform meaningful work (73%). A significant number of people also wished to identify with the Jewish community (35%) and to learn more about Judaism (40%). A smaller, although not insignificant number, were influenced by the opportunity to earn a professional salary for part-time work (32%).



• Will the teachers continue to teach?
  More than half (56%) of those who responded to the survey reported that teaching is a satisfying experience. More than half (56%) are currently teaching, although most (80%) are not in the same school that hired them from the Morim Match Database. When they changed jobs, the primary reason was that the day, time, or location of the original school was not optimal. A few reported that they had philosophical or educational differences with the principal or felt that the salary was not adequate. Those who have discontinued teaching have done so mainly because of what they perceived to be a lack of respect and support for teachers in the school and/or community. This fact must be a wake-up call to parents and to all those interested in Jewish education.

Summary

The data collected via the survey and the focus group are consistent with previous data gathered about the TeacherLink initiative. Both principals and prospective teachers are universally supportive of the services offered by the program. Overall, several suggestions seem to emerge:

Recruitment:

• The research indicates the benefit of having a professional whose job it is to design and run a recruitment program and a budget specifically for such a program. Communities that are serious about recruitment, training, and retention should consider making hiring such a professional a priority.
• When publicity about a program is being produced, the copy should tap into the motivations that the recruits gave as their reasons for interest in the field of Jewish education.
• Certain recruitment strategies have proven particularly successful and should be considered by communities wishing to start or improve a recruitment program. These strategies included: display ads in the body of the local Jewish newspaper addressing the Jewish community-at-large, and enlisting rabbis and principals to contact members of their school/congregation directly.
• Because people may not respond the first time they learn about the program, it is essential to repeat effective strategies and saturate the market with them.

Training:

• The most consistent suggestion about the training seminars is to increase the depth and extent of the coverage of the material presented in seminars and workshops. However, as is so often the case with programs of this type, the limiting issues seem to be time and resources, both those of the Agency and of the respondents.
• Classroom management and providing for students with special needs are the two most frequently mentioned areas in which both principals and participants believe more training would be beneficial.
• When options for training are provided in a flexible way people are encouraged to attempt to fit it into their busy professional and personal schedules. Once they have become a part of the program, they are likely to continue.
• Principals should be encouraged to require at least an introductory seminar about teaching methodology for all newly recruited teachers who have little or no teaching experience.

Retention:

• Participants felt that they have a critical mission for the future of the Jewish religion in America: To preserve in students their sense of being Jewish. This was mentioned by many respondents as their main reason for wanting to teach in a Jewish supplementary school. However, many feel that they are "fighting a losing battle." Many teachers indicated that their students seemed to have no awareness of Israel and that too many parents provide too little support for their activities. Synagogue and school lay leaders, community lay leaders, and the professional leadership of the Jewish community need to consider how to provide the front-line professionals with as much support as possible.
• Principals should be made aware of the concerns and issues that the respondents gave for leaving the profession so that they can work on ameliorating these problems.
• Educators should share with parents how important they are in establishing their children’s commitment to Jewish life, and Family Educators should continue to help parents develop the knowledge base, attitudes, and skills that would help them impact positively on their children. Their improved attitudes might help tackle the problems faced by professionals that are mentioned above.
• Mentoring should be provided to all new teachers.
• The Central Agency or Board of Jewish Education in a community can help principals by providing articles for them to share with their staff, recommending speakers to be invited to staff meetings, and conducting programs of interest open to all teachers.

In general, the TeacherLink initiative is providing a significant service to the Jewish community in the Greater Philadelphia area which principals and teachers find critical. Almost half of the principals (45%) indicated that TeacherLink made a difference in their recruitment and hiring practices, and that they are glad the program exists so that they will be able to use it if and when they need it. Forty-eight percent (48%) of prospective teachers report that they intend to use TeacherLink should they need to look for a job in the future.

It was suggested that, if possible, the program should increase and extend what is being done. It is possible for other communities to use TeacherLink as a model for their own recruitment and training programs. To this end, a manual describing the program has been produced and is available to professionals who would like to do so. Of course, TeacherLink is a work in process; it is continually being evaluated and retooled, as circumstances change and as new ideas are suggested. This is what keeps the program vital and valuable.