Develop a behavior-based hiring process that aligns with the school’s vision for readiness and identity. To achieve this, consider creating interview protocols that contain questions designed to assess the candidate’s values, beliefs, dispositions, and past behaviors. For example, you may want to ask potential teaching staff about their approach to teaching and how it supports the value that “All means all.” Ask for specific examples of how they create an inclusive environment for all students.
Another potential question to ask is how the candidate has worked within a collective effort. Ask for details on their experiences and the outcomes of these efforts. Additionally, ask candidates to describe their personal “why” for teaching and how they would help students develop key attributes for success.
Consider asking questions that show how the candidate’s approach to teaching encompasses and embraces the whole child, including academic, behavioral, and social-emotional aspects. Ask for specific examples of how they support social-emotional learning in students and create a sense of belonging for all students in their classroom.
To further assess the candidate’s approach to teaching, ask questions about how they address individual student needs, interests, and aspirations, including student voice and choice in universal design for learning. Additionally, ask for specific culturally responsive, inclusive, and sustaining practices they build into their universal approach to learning.
To help develop your hiring process, consider identifying three small actions that can be implemented in less than three months. These could be simple changes to your recruitment strategies, interview questions, or job postings that align with the school’s vision for readiness and identity.
For more substantial changes, identify two key moves that could be implemented in 3 to 6 months. These could include changes to how you determine who participates on hiring teams or what kind of proficiency tasks you ask potential hires to perform during the hiring process.
Finally, consider identifying one big play that could take six months or longer to implement. This could involve a major overhaul of your hiring approach to creating a more equitable and inclusive hiring process. Be sure to consider the potential impact of this big play and how it aligns with the school’s vision for readiness and identity.