Who creates your school’s brand image and marketing materials? Is it the district’s Communications department coordinator? Is it the district’s HR recruiter? Or, is it the principal or school leader of each individual school?

Designing a school’s brand image campaign or marketing and advertising materials may not be specifically spelled out as a duty in the job description or in the contract of a school leader, but I assure you, it could be one of the most important task for a principal to execute.

Many don’t realize that the recruitment and hiring of good teacher talent is often reflective of the reputation and the culture of the school and its leadership. NOT the socioeconomic status of the students. NOT the location of the school. NOT the amount of funding awarded to the school.

Good school leaders are able to recruit and hire good teachers because they know what their school’s strengths are and how to showcase them.

A few tips for those who are interested in attracting and recruiting excellent teachers of diverse backgrounds:

Know Your School’s Community

  1. Focus on what makes your school a great place to work.
  2. Get to know the community in which your school is located and identify what makes the community special or unique.
  3. Drive around the school’s neighborhood and learn of the businesses and services that are in operation.
  4. Visit the city’s website to learn about new developments and neighborhood demographics that may impact your school, your school families and ultimately your recruitment outlook.
  5. Read the local newspapers and magazines for current events and other valuable news related information about the community surrounding your school.

Other more obvious and absolutely necessary influences and strengths used to attract new teachers are listed below.

Know Your School’s Strengths

  1. New teacher mentor and induction programs
  2. Supportive instructional practices
  3. Empowering leadership team
  4. Supportive ancillary staff
  5. Active parent-teacher groups and organizations

Once you, the school leader knows and understands the strengths your school has to offer prospective teachers, you can then meet with the district’s marketing team to devise a plan for showcasing your assets. It is very important that you promote the strengths that relate to the teacher as a whole person, not just a professional person.

If you need help, call us at 281-265-2473.