Community Collaboration in Teacher Recruitment and Retention

High quality instruction delivered by effective teachers is the key to student success. Hiring, developing and retaining good teachers are therefore the most important tasks of our public schools. The tasks of teacher recruitment and retention have traditionally been delegated to the human resource department within school districts, but leaving these critical responsibilities to a single office is no longer sufficient. The ability to find, support, and keep good teachers is a community challenge, which demands innovative solutions collaboratively developed by diverse stakeholders. This brief highlights the efforts of four Northern California school districts to hire, develop and retain high quality teachers. Initiatives in these districts represent promising strategies to address the human resource challenges faced by school districts across California.