The Midland Independent School District (MISD) attributes its 96% classroom fill rate one month into the 2023-2024 academic year to what Chief of Human Capital Management Brandon Reyes said is a change in the recruiting approach.
“Recruitment is now a year-round effort, not just a few times a year, and principals were given many more staffing options to help fill teacher vacancies,” Reyes said in a Sept. 11 press release. “Plus, the operational pace has quickened.”
Reyes added that MISD seeks to slice the hiring time of teachers from 10 days to five.
“There are a lot of tasks currently being done manually that we’re working to have automated,” he said, according to the release. “Once we do this, it will be even faster not only for teachers but for all employees to join MISD.”
The district said gone are the days when staff was assigned double duty on day-to-day tasks while helping with recruiting given the addition of a Department of Recruitment and Retention.
Per the district, the new department allows substitute teacher management to be conducted in-house.
“We use substitute management as a recruiting tool,” Dr. Michele Harmon, who helms Recruitment and Retention, said in the release. “Substitute teaching is absolutely a gateway to becoming a full-time educator, including as a certified teacher. Your journey can start as a sub.”
Midland Times reported late last month that MISD garnered approval from the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) to sponsor a Registered Apprenticeship Program for teachers, which the district said will aid recruitment efforts.