AN EXAMINATION OF THE PERCEPTIONS OF HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGERS AND PRINCIPALS REGARDING HUMAN RESOURCE PRACTICES IN A FAST-GROWING SUBURBAN SCHOOL DISTRICT

Human Resource professionals and campus principals in rapid high growth school districts are faced with the challenge of responding to diverse staffing demands, increasing student enrollment, and at the same time they need to keep up with the recruitment, hiring, induction, and retention of teachers. Recruitment is the primary method through which the staffing of classrooms is executed. The purpose of this research is to examine the practices of Griffith Independent School District’s [GISD] Human Resources’ and campus principals’ policies, procedures, and practices as they relate to teacher recruitment, hiring, induction, and retention. Specifically, the work will investigate the experiences and perceptions of both campus principals and Human Resource professionals. In order to accomplish the purpose, the study adopts a quantitative approach that collected and analyzed survey data from GISD’s Human Resource professionals and campus principals. Survey responses were collected from a total of 20 Human Resources professionals and campus principals. The survey investigates how staffing needs are determined, how the process of recruitment occurs, and what programs are offered for classroom teacher induction at each level (district and campus). The descriptive design reveals organizational information to assist administration with their policies, procedures, and practices for staffing. Connections with the literature review, new directions for research, and implications of the study for policies and practices are given. This study is designed to inform professionals in order to develop more effective implementation strategies for the staffing of classroom teachers in fast-growth school districts. The perceptions of Human Resource professionals and campus principals were surveyed regarding the effectiveness of recruitment, hiring, inducting, and retaining classroom teachers. The primary commonalities within responses from the survey items included position status, hiring expectations, and campus principals had suggestions for changes in practice. The common responses to questions include the task to hire, interview, train, and mentor teachers from both Human Resource professionals and campus principals. The results indicated that the staffing needs are not determined at the campus level and teachers who are student teachers or former GISD employees are not given special consideration for hiring by Human Resources nor campus principals. Campus principals indicated that they do not have to interview teacher candidates; teachers may simply be selected by the campus principal to join their team. Human Resource professionals are tasked with notifying teacher candidates regarding their new assignment if they are selected. The high cost of recruitment and retention of classroom teachers is often more explicitly explained to HR professionals rather than campus principals, based on the responses of both groups. Campus Principals’ responses for having their own interview procedures for the selection of classroom teachers at the “Griffith ISD Job Fair” demonstrated another aspect of perception as their responses were based on their perception of their role. Based on the results from the research, Human Resource professionals and campus principals should better define their roles and understanding of hiring policies, procedures and practices.