The Impact of Hiring Practices on the Employment of Urban Teachers in Secondary Shortage Areas

This study examined the teacher hiring process as one possible cause of urban districts\u27 difficulty to recruit and hire highly qualified teachers. The study examines how new teachers experience the hiring process, reviews the information they receive from the hiring process, and captures teachers\u27 perspectives of how the hiring process assisted them to adjust to their new positions. The following research question guided the study: What are the perceptions ofthe hiring procedures in one Western New York school district among newly hired teachers in secondary subject areas experiencing teacher shortages? The study is a quantitative research project based on findings from a descriptive survey that analyzed cross-sectional data regarding the route taken by teacher candidates to secure employment. Descriptive statistics were used to acquire a teacher candidate\u27s perspective~ at a defined point in time. The research subjects for this study were a convenience sample of 125 teachers recently employed in high-need secondary academic areas including Bilingual Education, English as a Second Language, Foreign Languages, Mathematics, Science, and Special Education. Seventy responses were received (a 56% response rate). This study yielded four significant findings: (a) late hiring may reduce opportunities to compete for high-quality teachers, (b) hiring practices of the school district under study were inconsistent and (c) teachers did receive an accurate picture of the district and their job during the hiring process, and (d) teachers became aware of employment opportunities because of previous affiliations with the subject school district