2008-09 Annual Report - Harford County Public Schools

Harford nets top new hires, retains top educators
Retaining a highly qualified workforce to educate each of
the students in the Harford County Public Schools (HCPS)
is among the most important priorities for the school
system every year. Leading up to the 2008-2009 school
year, the school system hired 197 teachers to replenish the
3,213 person teaching force and hired 154 support staff to
fill new positions and positions vacated by retirement or
natural attrition.
In order to maintain such a quality faculty and staff, HCPS had
representation at 41 various job fairs and college/university
visits in nine states. Nearly six percent of teachers hired
were minority teachers, while approximately 78 percent of
new teachers hired were female, down eight percent from
last year. Eighty-seven percent of recruits were female
at the elementary level, perpetuating the domination of
female teachers at the elementary level for HCPS. More
than 57 percent of those employed were under 27 years
of age, a 15 percent increase from the previous year, and
more than 40 percent had at least a master’s degree when
they were hired.
Recruitment efforts continue to focus in Maryland, but with
the highly competitive need for teachers who meet the
federal definition of “highly qualified” under the Federal
No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act, it is necessary for the
local effort to extend beyond the borders of its home state.
NCLB requires that teachers must be fully certified in the
grade level or subject area in which they teach including
having a bachelor’s degree, a valid teaching certificate and
other specific teaching level requirements.
Almost half of the newly hired teachers graduated from
non-Maryland colleges and universities. System-wide and
school initiatives continue to support new teachers in the
local schools. For the 12-month period ending September
30, 2009, 4,029 teacher applications were posted to
the HCPS online application system, School Recruiter.
According to the HCPS Human Resources Office, the online
application process has contributed to a ten percent
increase from last year in the number of applications
received.
94%
Retention Rate
More than
91 percent
of classes
in HCPS are
taught by
instructors deemed “highly qualified,” increasing about
five percent from the previous school year.
Joan Ryder
152937
BW
4 BOE | DECEMBER 2009