Personnel Administration

Summer 2020
Reflection
The first thing I loved about this class was that each assignment was aligned with each chapter.
Knowing what to expect is so helpful as a student juggling so many things! The Principal’s
Corner was also thought provoking. It was helpful reading what principals had to say about
certain topics.
Teaching in a school with an uncertain future, I was excited to learn about recruitment. The
school where I currently teach is a private school that pays $20,000 plus less than the public
schools in the area. It is very difficult to find and retain teachers because the salary we make puts
us below the poverty line. Many of us here use this salary as supplementary. Trying to recruit
teachers out of college is nearly impossible, as they can make more elsewhere. Because of this
course, I was able to put together a recruitment plan for St. Agnes. It would be easily adaptable
for other private schools and for public schools too. Assignments like this one, work that can be
used in the real world, have been so beneficial for me and my current school. My principal has
my recruitment plan in his office.
Learning how to select the right candidate for a teaching position is a large part of being a school
leader. After I took this course and wrote the paper on interviewing, questioning, checking
credentials and references, I was able to sit in on an interview for a music teacher in my school.
Dr. Enos’ comments stuck with me. She said that looking for teacher candidates is stressful. A
principal may have a particular type of person in mind but being open-minded is important. A
new hire may not be what was envisioned, but a good school leader will shape that educator into
what the school was looking for and needs. I thought about the paper I wrote, and it helped me
and the interviewee feel more at ease.
The assignments in this course were aligned so well, that moving from one to the next was easy.
The assignment after the interviewing process concerned placement and induction. I was able to
speak with both my principal and a principal from the local high school to see what each has in
place. It turned out their processes could use work, as they did not run smoothly. Knowing what I
know now, whatever school I end up in, there will be a placement and induction plan to help
teachers transition.
I also put together a couple staff professional development trainings for this course. It was a first
for me, and one thing that really stuck out was a post survey for the staff to fill out after
attending the training. I had been to trainings that seemed a waste of time and others that were
amazing, but my opinion was never asked. I appreciate the use of surveys, so my staff feels like
their thoughts matter and their time is valuable.
Finally, learning about the statutes was invaluable. It was fairly new information to me. As a
future administrator, there is a great deal to know in terms of laws, rules, and regulations.