PERSONNEL

The Davenport Community School District is continually searching for outstanding professional candidates who will provide excellence in the educational programs for the pupils in our schools. Recruitment is a year-round process designed to meet the needs of the district, including our Affirmative Action Policy. Potential candidates are encouraged to make application at any time during the year.

I. Sources of Applicants

• Placement Centers of state universities and private colleges including those institutions having significant minority enrollment
• Recruiting campaigns
• Publication of position vacancy announcements in national, state and local professional publications, newspapers, and with local community organizations

II. Personnel Involved in the Selection Process

• Superintendent
• Human Resources Department
• Directors
• Principals
• Curriculum Coordinators
• Teachers

III. Application Procedures

A. General

Applications are sent to all who request them regardless of existing vacancies in the departments for which preference is expressed or the number of applicants whose papers are on file in the Human Resources Department. The issuance of such forms does not, therefore, imply that there are vacancies or that the candidate is under consideration for immediate appointment.

B. Applicant Folder

The applicant must complete and file the following items in the Human Resources Department to be considered an active candidate:

1. A completed application form
2. A complete set of credentials or three reference letters
3. Verification of Iowa Teaching Certification or qualifications for Iowa certification
4. A complete set of official transcripts
5. Verification of U.S. citizenship (to be provided in the event of employment)

Applicants remain in an "active" status for a period of one year. In March or April of each year, a renewal form is forwarded to each applicant to afford the individual an opportunity to remain in an "active" status for the subsequent year.

IV. Interview Procedures

A. Oral Interview

At the option of the District, applicants having completed files as described in III, B above will be offered an interview. The interview team could include building administrators, coordinators, and teachers. Whenever possible, the team should reflect a gender and ethnic balance.

The two primary objectives of the interview are for district representatives to:

1. Present in a public relations sense the Davenport community and the schools serving that community. The following materials should be discussed with the applicant: Brochure -- Davenport Community School District, Salary Schedule, Fringe Benefits, Teacher Selection Process and Application Form Information.

2. Determine to what degree the candidate possesses the characteristics, skills and basic philosophies associated with the "outstanding" teacher. They include:

a. Professional Performance - This professional will provide learning opportunities for all pupils through planning, stimulating activities and frequent evaluation; has command of methodologies that are based in learning theory and upon prevailing conditions; will create and maintain an intellectual and emotional climate for learning.

b. Pupil Relations - This professional will apply the principles of pupil growth and development; will respect individual differences; will be reasonable and impartial; will create and maintain a classroom atmosphere that merits pupil respect.

c. Management Activities - This professional will follow the objectives of the school program and contribute to its success; will assume workday responsibilities beyond the specific assignment; will make efficient use of time and facilities; can manage groups of pupils; will comply with rules and directives; will be accurate and punctual; will complete necessary reports and records.

d. Personal Characteristics - This professional has personal habits that will positively affect the pupils, the school and community; will relate to and will organize responsibilities cooperatively; and will communicate the district's goals, objectives, programs and policies.

e. Professional Growth - This professional will work within the Davenport Board of Education philosophy and adhere to a professional code of ethics; will seek to update knowledge and skills and improve performance through study and experimentation.

Following is an example of a rating sheet based on the above criteria that could be used to tally each team member's score to determine an average:

1. Professional Performance (Low) 1 2 3 4 5 (High)
2. Pupil Relations (Low) 1 2 3 4 5 (High)
3. Management Activities (Low) 1 2 3 4 5 (High)
4. Personal Characteristics (Low) 1 2 3 4 5 (High)
5. Professional Growth (Low) 1 2 3 4 5 (High)

 

C. Interviewing Process

The interviewers will identify, prior to the interview, specific questions to be asked of all candidates. Listed below are examples of the types of questions the interviewer is expected to ask: (Questions specific to subject areas, grade levels, or specific programs should be included.)

1. Please describe:

a. A good teacher
b. Your educational philosophy
c. Your knowledge of research in education
d. Your knowledge of learning theory

1.  What are your strengths as a teacher working with students?

2.  What do you feel are the professional teacher's responsibilities to pupils?

3. What are your future educational plans?

4.  If you observed a student cheating on an exam, what would you do?

5.  Do you want your students to like you? Is it important to you that they do?

6. Please describe how you discipline students.

7. Do you feel students can evaluate their teachers? Should they?

8.  How do you feel when one of your students fail?

9.  Please describe how you know when you have had a good class session.

10.  Describe experiences you have had with diverse populations.

11.  Is there any reason that you cannot perform the essential functions of the job that I have described?

12.  What are the necessary organizational activities for a professional teacher to succeed in the classroom?

13.  Should the evaluation of a teacher's professional success be based on anything other than what takes place in the classroom?

 

The following chart outlines some of the more frequent errors made in questioning during the application process:

 

Miss, Mrs. or Ms. To ask if a woman is single or married; To ask for a maiden name.

Marital status/parental status Status (only married or single) To ask marital status before after hiring for insurance purposes. hiring; To ask the number of Number and ages of dependents children, who cares for them,

And/or spouse after hiring legal for and if applicant plans to have

Insurance purposes. more children.

Age Should not ask; May ask if applicant To ask age or age group of

is over 18. Require proof of age by applicant; To request birth birth certificate after hiring. certificate or baptismal record before hiring.

Handicap To ask if there is any reason why To ask if applicant is disabled applicant cannot perform essential in any way that would prevent job functions. him/her from performing the job.

Height/Weight To ask applicant's ability to do heavy To ask height and weight if lifting and other physical job not job related requirements.

Credit history/ May ask if applicant is handling To ask about charge accounts

Personal finances money if job related. past wage garnishments unless it is job related.

Sex Strike any inquiry that is sex related unless it is job related.

Place of residence May ask. To ask if applicant rents or owns residence.

Race OK to identify job applicant log May not ask to identify their through visual identification or race or color; should not voluntary self-identification on require a photograph or separate forms. submission of physical description.

Do you have a telephone? May not ask. May ask for a reliable way to reach applicant if job requires that.

D. Demonstration Lesson

The building principal will inform each candidate of the date, time, and place for the teaching demonstration of 20-30 minutes in length. To insure uniformity, the principal or coordinator will share the following information with each applicant:

1. Time frame for the lesson
2. The course and grade level
3. The topic, lesson, or objectives to be taught
4. When appropriate, provide the textbook or printed material upon which the lesson is based. (Indicate to candidates that is should not limit them from using a variety of other materials and ideas of their own choosing.)
5. Upon request the team will provide audio-visual equipment

All interview team members are expected to attend each demonstration lesson. Team members should evaluate all demonstration lessons in accordance with factors emphasized in the district's Teacher Evaluation Checklist for Demonstration Lesson (see attached). Also take into consideration such personal qualities as warmth, sense of humor, composure and resourcefulness.

If students are not available, interview team members will play the role of students.

Immediately following the final demonstration lesson, the team will consider the qualifications and merits of each candidate based on the teaching demonstrations and oral interviews and collaboratively decide which individual is the best candidate for the job. (If consensus does not exist, the decision will be made by the person to whom the position reports.)

An administrative team member must have called a minimum of three references for the selected candidate, including the last employer. If the references are found to be satisfactory, the principal will complete a recommendation to hire form, which is sent to the Director of Human Resources.

The Director of Human Resources will review the candidate's folder to insure all documents are in order.

The folder and recommendation are then sent to the appropriate Director who will arrange for a second interview with the recommended candidate with the possibility of a further decision.

The Director of Human Resources will forward the recommendation to the Superintendent for review and further decision.

Following the Superintendent's approval, the Director of Human Resources will call the recommended candidate with an employment offer conditioned on:

1. The individual submitting a satisfactory criminal records check from the local police department or law enforcement jurisdiction.

2. The individual submitting a satisfactory medical examination.

3. School Board approval.

 

The Director of Human Resources will have the responsibility of informing the unsuccessful candidates that someone else was chosen for the position.

 

• Updated 4/93, 8/99