Recruiting a Director of Education: A Guidebook for Boards of Education
By: Loraine Thompson Information Services
SSTA Research Centre Report #02-02:
55
pages, $14.
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The opinions and recommendations expressed in this report are those
of the author and may not be in agreement with SSTA officers or trustees,
but are offered as being worthy of consideration by those responsible for
making decisions.
Acknowledgements
The Saskatchewan School Trustees Association would like to thank all the
individuals who contributed to this publication.
Preliminary Research and Writing
A preliminary version of this guidebook was developed by Saskatchewan’s
Regional Directors of Education. The Saskatchewan School Trustees
Association would like to express its thanks and sincere appreciation to
the Regional Directors for their very significant contribution to this
project.
Writer/Researcher
Loraine Thompson, Loraine Thompson Information Services Limited, Regina
401 – 2305 Victoria Avenue
Regina, Sk
S4P 0S7
Advisory Committee
-
Barry Bashutski, Director, Education and Research, Saskatchewan School
Trustees Association
-
LaVonne Black, Director, Legal Services, Saskatchewan School Trustees Association
-
Lawrence Chomos, Regional Director of Education, Saskatoon Regional Office
-
Ernie Dawson, Retired Director of Education, Editor of The Leader (LEADS
publication)
-
Pat Dickson, Executive Director, LEADS (League of Educational Administrators,
Directors and Superintendents)
-
Craig Melvin, Executive Director, Saskatchewan School Trustees Association
Table of Contents
Introduction
Purpose of This Guidebook
This guidebook is written for boards of education. It describes the
process of recruiting and hiring a director of education. This process
will vary somewhat from one board to another, depending on the size and
type of school division, the specific situation and the approach the board
wishes to take. Therefore, this guidebook outlines options and alternatives.
It is a source of ideas rather than a prescription.
Selecting a director of education is perhaps the most important decision
a board of education makes. The director becomes the CEO and is responsible
for ensuring that the board’s policies are implemented as the board intended.
Most boards have limited experience with selecting a director of education,
as this process occurs relatively infrequently. Some board members
may not have participated in a search for a director before. However,
the need to hire a director of education may arise suddenly. If the current
director of education leaves for a new job or becomes ill, you may have
little notice. Only if the current director gives several months
notice prior to retirement will you have lots of time to plan your strategy.
Therefore, it is a good idea to develop a contingency plan. If
your director of education resigns, what will you do first? What
will you do second? How will you plan for and organize recruitment?
It is also a good idea to set money aside to cover the costs of recruitment
or identify an emergency fund that can be tapped in case you are suddenly
faced with this expense.
Table of Contents
Organization of This Guidebook
This
guidebook begins with a section on the legal requirements relating to recruiting
and hiring a director of education. Next come three sections that
cover the three stages of the process: planning, recruiting and following-up.
A checklist at the end of this guidebook summarizes all the significant
steps and considerations during recruitment of a director of education.
This guidebook concludes with an appendix that provides sample job ads,
sample interview questions and other supplementary material.
Table of Contents
Legal Requirements
The Education Act, 1995 and its regulations set out certain legal
requirements that apply to the recruiting of directors of education and
to the qualifications and duties of directors of education. These
legal requirements fall into the six categories below:
-
Executive Responsibility
-
Duties of the Director of Education
-
Qualifications of the Director of Education
-
Recruitment Requirements
-
Contractual Requirements
-
Requirements to File Contracts
These legal requirements are discussed in more detail in the sections that
follow.
Table of Contents
Executive Responsibility
Boards of education are required to appoint a director of education who
is designated as the chief executive officer of the board. The
Education Act, 1995 states:
|
The Education Act, 1995
|
| 107(1) |
… every board of education and every conseil scolaire shall appoint
a director who meets the qualifications prescribed by the regulations. |
| 108(1) |
A board of education shall designate the director as the chief executive
officer of that board of education. |
|
The Act permits small school divisions to appoint a director
of education jointly with another school division, or to hire a part-time
director of education.
Table of Contents
Duties of the Director
of Education
Section 109 of The Education Act, 1995 specifies that the responsibilities
of the director are prescribed by the board of education that hired her
or him. The Act also says that directors have certain legal
duties in addition to the responsibilities assigned by the board.
These duties are to:
-
prepare and submit reports required by the Minister of Education
-
manage schools in accordance with The Education Act, 1995 and the
policies of the board of education
-
supervise schools and the work of principals, teachers and other staff
-
provide educational leadership
-
act as a liaison between the board of education, the board’s professional
staff and the public
Table of Contents
Qualifications of
Director of Education
Candidates for the job of director of education must meet both the requirements
of the Regulations to the Education Act and the requirements of
LEADS.
Requirements
of the Regulations to The Education Act
Regulation (5) of the Regulations to the Education Act specifies
the minimum qualifications that a director of education must have.
These are:
-
Professional “A” teaching certificate
-
at least one year of graduate work relating to the duties of a director
of education
-
at least two years Canadian teaching experience at the elementary or secondary
level
-
at least two years of Canadian experience as an educational administrator
People who were employed as a director of education in Saskatchewan on
or before December 31, 1978 are not required to meet the requirements above.
Requirements of LEADS
In order to be employed as a director of education an individual must
be eligible for membership in LEADS (The League of Educational Administrators,
Directors and Superintendents). The LEADS membership requirements
are:
-
a Professional Teaching Certificate
-
completion of at least one year of graduate study at a recognized university
in a field that relates to the duties of an educational administrator
-
a minimum of two years teaching experience at the elementary or secondary
level
-
good character satisfactory to the LEADS executive
-
has been designated by the Education Relations Board pursuant to section
261 of The Education Act, 1995 as not being a teacher.
For more information about LEADS, its membership requirements and its role,
go to the LEADS
website.
Table of Contents
Recruitment Requirements
Regulation
6(1) of the Regulations to The Education Act sets out some requirements
relating to recruitment. Boards of education must:
-
notify the Minister of Education in writing that you are recruiting a director
of education (A letter to the Regional Director of Education meets this
requirement.)
-
advertise in at least the two daily newspapers having the largest circulation
in Saskatchewan (This means that, as a minimum, you must advertise in the
Regina
Leader-Post and the Saskatoon Star-Phoenix.)
-
consider all applications
-
notify the minister of the name, address and qualifications of the person
appointed (A letter to the Regional Director of Education meets this requirement.)
Table of Contents
Contractual Requirements
Regulation 6(2) of the Regulations to The Education Act states that
the director of education must be hired under a written contract specifying
the terms of employment and the procedure for review and termination of
the contract.
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Requirements
to File Contracts
Regulation 7.1(1) of the Regulations to The Education Act requires that
the person you hire files copies of all contracts of employment and subsequent
amendments and revisions with the Teachers’ Superannuation Commission or
the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Retirement Plan (whichever applies). This
must be done within 30 days of the date on which the contract comes into
effect. In some cases, the board of education files the contract
of employment on behalf of its employee.
Table of Contents
Part 1 - Planning
Laying the groundwork before you begin searching for a director of education
will help ensure that the process goes smoothly. Tasks at the planning
stage include:
-
Assign Responsibilities
-
Establish a Budget
-
Set the Stage (which includes reviewing the vision, mission and goals of
the school division, and developing a job description for the director
of education)
-
Be Aware of Potential Problems
Each of these tasks is discussed in more detail in the sections that follow.
Table of Contents
Assign Responsibilities
It is the board of education’s responsibility to hire a new director of
education. Boards of education frequently delegate some of the tasks
in the selection and hiring process, but regardless of how little or how
much authority they delegate, the board of education is legally and ethically
responsible for the outcome.
Table of Contents
Assign Responsibilities
It is estimated that recruiting a director of education takes 50 to 80
hours of work. The exact amount of time needed depends on the situation,
and the number of applications received. One of the first tasks for
a board of education is to decide who will do this work. Boards of
education can use resources within the education system, rely on fee-for-service
options, or use a combination of both.
Table of Contents
Options Within the Education
System
-
Regional Director of Education – The Regional Director of Education may
assume some or all of the work associated with recruiting a director of
education.
-
Board of education resources – The two most common options within boards
of education are:
-
Human resources department – Some large boards of education have a human
resources department that will handle the recruiting process.
-
Members of the board of education – An individual member of the board or
a committee of board members sometimes assumes responsibility for the work
associated with recruiting a director of education.
Table of Contents
Fee-for-Service Options
-
Saskatchewan Schools Trustees Association – The SSTA has extensive experience
with recruiting and offers this service to boards of education.
-
Executive search company – Several Saskatchewan companies specialize in
recruiting middle- and senior-level executives for government, private
corporations and non-profit institutions.
-
Consultant – Several retired Saskatchewan directors of education have established
executive search practices and specialize in working with educational institutions.
When considering fee-for-service options remember that cost is not necessarily
an indicator of quality. Large firms may charge more because they
have more overhead, but may not provide better or more appropriate service
than consultants who work out of their homes.
Table of Contents
Organize the Work
You can choose one of the options listed previously to get the work done
or combine several options.
Regardless of which option or combination of options you choose:
-
Decide who will do what – For example, a board of education might
contract a consultant to write job ads, but will place those ads in newspapers
itself. Before you go any further with the recruiting process, write
a list of all the recruitment tasks you can think of and then beside each
one write the names of the individual, group, or company responsible.
-
Reserve decision making for the board of education – Regardless
of which option you choose to do the work, be sure that the board of education
is responsible for all significant decisions.
For example:
| Decision |
Work |
Decision |
| Board identifies key points to appear in job ad |
Consultant writes two or three versions of a job ad for board’s review |
Board selects the job ad to be used |
| Board selects newspapers job ad is to appear in |
Consultant handles all administrative and clerical work associated
with placing the ad |
|
| Board decides on applicants who will be interviewed |
Consultant handles all logistics of setting up interviews – interview
schedule, inviting candidates, arranging for hospitality, etc. |
|
-
Develop a formal written agreement – If you are using a fee-for-service
option, it is important to have a formal, written, legally-binding contract
that spells out who will do what, the timelines, the amount of the fees
that will be paid, the payment schedule, and the terms under which the
contract can be terminated. Most contracts with executive search
firms or consultants also contain a confidentiality clause.
If you are working with the Regional Director of Education or using
your own board resources, develop a plan that outlines who will do what
and when. This type of plan can prevent duplication of effort, keep
the recruitment process on track and prevent misunderstandings among those
involved in the process.
-
Be prepared to revise and change the way you assign responsibility
– You don’t know in advance how many applications you will get. You
may get 50 or you may get 10. Check with the Saskatchewan School
Trustees Association. They may be able to estimate the number of
applications you will receive. But be prepared to revise your plans.
If you plan for 12 applications but receive 50, plus many phone calls and
e-mail queries, you will need to add more capacity to your recruitment
team. If you plan for 25 applications but receive only five, you
can scale back.
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The Role of
the Current Director of Education
In most cases, the current director of education plays no role in recruiting,
selecting and hiring a new director of education. Some boards of
education decide to review their direction at this time to consider the
type of leadership needed for the direction they wish to follow in the
future. Once a director of education is hired, the previous director
of education can play an important role by making her/himself available
to answer questions and provide information as needed.
Table of Contents
Establish a Budget
You might conduct your search using options within the education system,
or you might hire an executive search firm or a consultant to do some or
all of the work. Regardless of which option you choose, you will
need a budget for the recruiting process. Typically, the recruitment
process costs between six months and one year of the director’s salary.
If you work with a fee-for-service consultant, expect to pay professional
fees. Questions to consider about professional fees include:
-
Does the consultant work for a flat fee that covers all aspects of the
recruiting process or does s/he charge an hourly or daily rate?
-
Does the consultant’s fee include other expenses like long distance phone
calls and courier, or does the consultant bill separately for these items?
Long distance phone calls can run to several hundred dollars, so this is
a significant budget item. Does the consultant charge for travel
time?
Regardless of whether you use resources within the education system or
a fee-for-service option, you will need to budget for:
-
Travel costs – Travel costs can include mileage, meals, hotel and sometimes
airfare for three categories of groups and individuals:
-
recruitment consultant
-
applicants for the director’s job
-
board members and community members who participate in the selection process.
-
Newspaper advertising – The actual cost will depend on the number of days
you run your ad and the number of newspapers it appears in.
-
Long distance phone charges.
-
Hospitality costs – Some boards of education take all applicants interviewed
out for a meal. This cost depends on the number of applicants, the
number of people accompanying the applicant, and the type of restaurant.
Some boards offer coffee and donuts or other snacks during interviews,
which is another expense.
Table of Contents
Set the Stage
Review
the Vision, Mission and Goals of the School Division
Statements of vision, mission and goals are important for every school
division because they provide a framework for school division policies
and decision making. These tools are important during the search
for a new director of education because:
-
They provide guidance for the board of education and help the board choose
a director of education whose approach is consistent with the board’s vision,
mission and goals.
-
They provide useful information for applicants. The school division’s
vision, mission and goals tell applicants a lot about the school division.
Reviewing the vision, mission and goals of your school division before
starting the search for a new director of education will help ensure that
you hire a person whose vision for the school division is consistent with
the board’s.
Table of Contents
Develop
a Job Description for the Director of Education
The Education Act, 1995 provides a basic description of the duties
and responsibilities of the director of education. It also provides
lots of room for board initiative since it says that, subject to the legal
requirements, “The duties and powers of a director shall be prescribed
by the board of education.”
If you don’t have a job description for the director of education, develop
one before you begin recruiting. If you have an existing job description,
update it to be sure it is current and relevant. The SSTA will assist
with this process if you wish.
A current job description is crucial when you are hiring a director
of education for two reasons:
-
Writing or reviewing the job description forces the board to:
-
think about and agree upon the role and responsibilities of the director
of education
-
discuss how the board and the director will work together, and to discuss
the categories of decisions the director can take independently and the
categories of decisions that must be referred to the board.
-
The job description is vital information for applicants. It
tells them what will be expected of them, if they are hired as director
of education.
After an applicant is hired, the job description will form part of the
evaluation process. The director of education’s performance will
be evaluated in terms of the job description.
Table of Contents
Be Aware of Potential Problems
Two problems that sometimes arise during the search for a new director
of education are:
-
Conflicts of Interest
-
Pressure From Candidates
Each of these potential problems is discussed in more detail below.
Table of Contents
Conflicts of Interest
A conflict of interest arises when one of your family members or a close
friend applies for the position of director of education. A family
member includes spouse, ex-spouse, children, step-children, niece, nephew,
aunt, uncle, etc. A close friend is someone you see regularly, socialize
with and feel some closeness to.
If a family member or close friend applies for the job of director of
education, your only option is to declare a conflict of interest and excuse
yourself completely from any further participation in selection and hiring.
In addition, ask that your fellow board members not give you information
about how the process is going. It is best to completely remove yourself
from the recruitment process.
Table of Contents
Pressure From Candidates
Occasionally job applicants will contact members of the board individually
and try to influence them. Job applicants may phone, outline their
qualifications and ask for your support. They might send written
material or gifts to your home address or ask you out for a meal.
If an applicant phones you, tell them that you are not able to accept
any information outside of the formal process that has been established
by the board and politely terminate the conversation. Refuse invitations
for meals and return any gifts that may be sent.
Report any such attempts to influence to the rest of the board when
you are reviewing an applicant’s suitability.
Table of Contents
Part 2 - Recruiting
Recruiting a director of education involves the following six tasks:
-
Decide on Criteria
-
Organize the Job Ad
-
Widen the Job Search
-
Handle Applications
-
Screen Applicants
-
Interview Candidates
These tasks are discussed in more detail in the sections that follow.
Table of Contents
Decide on Criteria
Before you write a job ad or begin any other recruiting activities, decide
on the characteristics you want the director of education to have and the
criteria you will use for selection. These criteria will influence
the way the job ad is worded, provide a framework for preliminary screening
of applicants, and be used during interviews of the applicants who are
short-listed.
Minimum Legal Requirements
The minimum legal qualifications for directors of education and the requirement
for membership in LEADS are given earlier in this guidebook in the section
called, “Legal Requirements”. Most boards of education establish
criteria in addition to minimum legal requirements. These additional
requirements usually fall into eight categories:
-
Professional Criteria
-
First Nations Experience
-
Financial Management Skills
-
Personnel Management Skills
-
Educational Leadership Skills
-
Personal Characteristics
-
Criminal Records Check
-
Critical Factors
Each of the eight categories of requirements is discussed below.
Table of Contents
Professional Criteria
-
Master’s degree – Although only one year of graduate study in education
is legally required, most boards of education specify a Master’s degree
in Educational Administration or some other educational area. A Master’s
degree in a subject area like English, biology or geography does not meet
the legal requirements, unless the applicant also has at least one year’s
graduate study in education.
-
Doctorate (PhD. or ED) – If require a doctorate you will be reducing
the number of potential candidates.
-
Administrative experience – The Regulations to The Education
Act specify that directors of education must have at least two years
of Canadian experience as an educational administrator. The traditional
way of acquiring this experience is as a vice-principal or principal.
But administrative experience can be acquired in other ways as well.
For example, as a director of special education or a curriculum supervisor
in a school division or a large school, or as a manager at Saskatchewan
Education, the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation or the Saskatchewan School
Trustees Association. Any type of administrative experience that
involves supervising people, administering budgets and making policy decisions
in an educational setting is appropriate.
-
Teaching experience – Applicants must, by law, have at least two
years of teaching experience. What type of experience do you want
– elementary, secondary or both; rural, urban, northern; inner city, affluent
suburb?
Table of Contents
First Nations Experience
If your school division has Aboriginal students or if your school division
contracts with nearby First Nations to supply educational services, some
of the criteria below may be appropriate.
-
Experience working with First Nations people
-
Experience teaching First Nations students
-
Knowledge, understanding and appreciation of First Nations culture and
traditions
-
Fluency in a First Nations language.
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Financial Management Skills
The director of education will be working with the board each year to establish
and administer the budget. The director must be able to set program
priorities and allocate funds in order to achieve the desired results.
The director should also understand the complexities of educational funding
in Saskatchewan and be able to read financial statements.
Look for an applicant who has previous experience administering budgets
and/or graduate courses in budget management.
The director of education does not need experience and/or courses in
accounting or bookkeeping. Day-to-day financial record-keeping is
the responsibility of the secretary-treasurer. The director of education’s
job is to ensure the money is spent in a way that reflects the board’s
educational priorities.
Table of Contents
Personnel Management Skills
Personnel management has two components: the director’s interpersonal
style when working with others and technical skills.
-
Interpersonal style – Today, a facilitative, collaborative interpersonal
style often gets better results than an authoritarian style. A collaborative
director of education involves teachers, parents, students and community
groups in planning and decision making, and sets up procedures that allow
these groups to have input. Although the board and the director make
the final decision in many cases, those decisions will be better informed
and more readily accepted if the people affected by the decision have input.
-
Technical skills – An effective director of education is skilled
in areas like:
-
Interviewing potential teachers
-
Working with selection panels to select teachers
-
Reviewing teachers’ performance and giving teachers constructive guidance
-
Developing job descriptions
-
Working within the context of a collective agreement (both teachers’ collective
agreements and support staff’s collective agreements).
Table of Contents
Educational Leadership Skills
The board of education creates a vision for education in the school division.
It is the director of education’s job to bring that vision into reality.
The director of education must be able to:
-
Communicate the board’s vision for education to teachers, students, parents
and the community, and to lead others in achieving that vision.
-
Set program priorities that reflect the board’s vision. This may involve
setting up new programs; enhancing existing programs; and allocating teachers,
support staff and budget to specific programs.
A good director of education also has knowledge of educational topics and
issues like:
-
Core Curriculum
-
Current trends in national and international education
-
New models for evaluation of students and programs
-
The implications of the “Role of Schools” report
-
Integrated school-linked services.
Table of Contents
Personal Characteristics
Many boards of education look for certain personal characteristics in a
director of education. Some of the more common personal characteristics
expected are:
-
Optimistic/cheerful/positive/happy
-
Problem solver
-
Good listener
-
Good speaker
-
People-oriented
-
Child-centred
-
Warm/approachable
-
Good writing skills
-
Dedicated/committed
-
Community-oriented
-
Polite/courteous
-
Neat and tidy in appearance and manner
-
Collaborative
-
Flexible
-
Commitment to religious education (for Catholic boards of education)
Table of Contents
Criminal Records Check
Some school divisions require that potential candidates for the position
of director of education undergo a criminal records check and that they
have a criminal record acceptable to the board. Contact your local
RCMP or city police for information about getting a criminal records check.
A fee is sometimes charged for this service. Usually, the applicant
pays this fee, not the board of education.
Boards of education and other employers will sometimes accept applicants
with a minor criminal record, for example, shoplifting as a teenager.
However, most will not accept applicants with any type of serious offence
or any type of offence involving violence, exploitation or sexually inappropriate
behaviour with children or teens.
Table of Contents
Critical Factors
The previous six pages of these guidelines identify many types of knowledge,
skills and personal characteristics that are desirable in a director of
education.
Few applicants will meet all of these criteria. Therefore, it
is a good idea to identify critical factors – the four or five skills and
attributes that a director of education absolutely must have to be effective
in your school division. When you are considering candidates, you
can review each candidate’s qualifications against your critical factors.
Any candidates who lack one or more of the critical factors would be unsuitable.
Critical factors will vary from one board of education to another.
For example, if you have many Aboriginal students in your school division
or if you contract services to a First Nation, First Nations experience
would probably be a critical factor. If your school division is in
the middle of implementing many new educational programs, strong educational
leadership skills would be a critical factor.
It is important that board members discuss the critical factors until
there is agreement on the four or five skills and/or attributes that a
director of education must have. This will help ensure that decision
making goes smoothly.
Table of Contents
Organize the Job Ad
Decide Who Will Write the
Job Ad
Often two or three drafts of the ad are necessary in order to get a version
that the board is comfortable with. Any of the following people might
write the job ad:
-
Chair or member of the board of education
-
Contracted consultant
-
Secretary-treasurer
-
Regional Director of Education
Table of Contents
Write the Job Ad
A job ad must be short because newspaper advertising is expensive.
The ad usually contains the following elements:
-
A description of the school division – This usually includes the
geographic area covered, the number of schools and students, and the amount
of the budget. Information about special programs offered may also
be included.
-
Candidates’ qualifications – In this section of the ad provide a
brief description of the type of candidate you are looking for.
-
References – Some boards of education ask for three references with
the initial application. Others only ask short-listed candidates
for references.
-
Information about submitting application – In this section provide
the mailing address to which applications should be sent. If you
are willing to accept applications by fax or e-mail, include the appropriate
fax number and e-mail address.
-
Deadline date – Include the deadline for receipt of applications.
-
Source for more information – Most school divisions give their website
URL so that potential applicants can get more information about the division.
Most also give a phone number or e-mail address of an individual that applicants
can contact for more information about the job. This contact person
is usually the chair or a member of the board of education, a contracted
consultant or the Regional Director of Education.
When you are writing the job ad, be sure to use inclusive language.
For example, refer to potential applicants as “the candidate” or “qualified
applicants” not as “he”.
Consider adding a statement like:
Our school division encourages applications from qualified
women and men, including members of visible minorities, Aboriginal peoples
and persons with disabilities.
Three sample job ads appear in Appendix 1 at the end of this guidebook.
Table of Contents
Place the Job Ad
You are legally required to advertise in the two daily newspapers having
the largest circulation in Saskatchewan (the Regina Leader-Post
and the Saskatoon Star-Phoenix). Some school divisions advertise
in other publications as well. Possible options to advertise the
job opening include:
-
The Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation Bulletin – This publication
reaches every educator in Saskatchewan
-
SaskJobs
– You can post a job ad and search for appropriate applicants on this Government
of Saskatchewan website
-
The LEADS website
– You can post job ads for administrators, teachers, and support staff
on this website
-
Your local daily or weekly newspaper. This will help ensure that
potential candidates from within the school division are aware of the job.
It is also a good way of keeping the community informed
-
Daily newspapers in some of Saskatchewan’s smaller cities
-
First Nations newspapers in the western provinces
-
The newsletter of SWAAC (Senior Women Academic Administrators Council)
and similar publications targeted to women in education
-
Daily newspapers from Edmonton, Calgary and Winnipeg
-
National newspapers like the National Post and the Globe and
Mail.
After you have decided which newspapers you will place the ad in, you have
to decide upon the number of days the ad will run. Job ads usually
appear in either the Friday or Saturday editions of daily newspapers.
You can run the ad just once, or two or three weekends in a row.
The more times you run the ad, the more potential candidates you are likely
to reach, but the greater the expense.
In addition to running the job ad in newspapers, put it on your school
division website. You may reach additional candidates in this way.
Table of Contents
Widen the Job Search
The job ad is an important part of your search for qualified applicants,
but it is not the total search. Most boards of education also inform
people about the job opening by word-of-mouth and networking. Some
ideas for widening the job search include:
-
Contact the Saskatchewan Indian Federated College (SIFC), the Federation
of Saskatchewan Indian Nations (FSIN) and the Gabriel Dumont Institute
(GDI); make them aware of the job opening and ask them to help locate qualified
people of Aboriginal ancestry.
-
Consider staff within your own school division. Pay particular attention
to women, minorities and people with disabilities. When these individuals
meet the requirements for the job, make them aware of the job opening and
suggest they apply.
-
Contact deans and department heads at the College/Faculty of Education
at the two universities and executive directors at Saskatchewan Education.
Make them aware of the job opening and ask them to inform qualified applicants.
-
Consult with LEADS executive and members. Do they know of potential
candidates you could invite to apply?
-
Post the job ad on bulletin boards at the two universities and direct it
specifically to graduate students in educational administration.
When you search out qualified applicants and invite them to apply, explain
that you are trying to increase the size of the pool of candidates and
trying to ensure that you have candidates of both genders and a wide variety
of backgrounds. Make it clear that you are not offering possible
applicants the job and that they will go through the same screening process
as all other applicants.
Sometimes a school division will run a job ad in Saskatchewan’s two
largest daily newspapers and get only one or two applications. Small
rural school divisions sometimes receive few applications for jobs.
If you receive only one or two applications, you will almost certainly
want to widen the job search. Advertise in more publications and
websites. Let as many people as possible know about the job opening.
Table of Contents
Handle Applications
As applications begin to come in, it is a good idea to set up a separate
file for each application. That way notes and additional material can be
added to each application if necessary. Here are some questions you
will have to address when handling applications.
-
Will applications be accepted after the deadline? – Generally, accepting
applications after the deadline gives late applicants more time to prepare
their application and, thus, an unfair advantage. If an applicant
requests more time, it may indicate that this is a person who expects others
to bend the rules for her or him. The only exception might be a person
who has an unexpected family emergency and/or medical crisis.
-
Who will have access to the files? – You will need to consider both
the applicant’s expectation of reasonable confidentiality and the community’s
need to be involved.
-
Will applicants be allowed to apply in confidence? – Confidence
means that no one beyond the board of education will know that a particular
person applied and the application will be held in strictest secrecy.
-
Will applicants be told how many other people have applied?
How many other people are being interviewed?
-
After the competition, what will happen to the applications?
They can be destroyed, kept on file, or returned to the applicants.
Most school divisions return work samples and other similar materials,
but destroy all applications and resumes. There is little point in
keeping these on file, since they become outdated rapidly and take up a
lot of file space.
Table of Contents
Screen Applicants
Screening applicants has five components:
-
Screen for Legal Requirements
-
Create a Short List
-
Do Reference Checks
-
Notify Short-Listed Candidates
-
Share Information with Short-Listed Candidates
Table of Contents
Screen for Legal Requirements
If you get many applications, it is likely that some of the applicants
will not meet the legal requirements for the position of director of education.
For example, you may get applicants who have experience teaching at the
university level, but not at the K-12 level; or applicants who have no
Canadian teaching experience; or applicants who have degrees in a field
other than education. None of these people would be eligible for
the job of director of education. The first screening should be simply
to weed out the people who don’t meet the legal requirements.
During this preliminary screening, you might also weed out applicants
whose applications are so messy they cannot be read, and applications that
have many coffee stains and the like. The type of application that an individual
submits gives you information about the quality of the work they will submit
to the board and the public. If someone sends in a messy job application,
it is likely that all of their work will be messy.
This screening can be done by a contracted consultant or the secretary-treasurer
since it is unambiguous in nature. However, the board should receive
a list of the names of everyone who applied. The person doing the
preliminary screening should indicate the reasons why certain applications
did not meet basic criteria.
Table of Contents
Create a Short List
A short list is a list of the three to five people who will be interviewed,
so the next step is to select the three to five best candidates.
Refer back to the criteria you developed at the beginning of the recruiting
process and evaluate each applicant against these criteria. Pay particular
attention to the critical factors – the four or five attributes that candidates
absolutely must have for success in your school division.
If you get a lot of applications, you may want to create a preliminary
short list of eight to ten people. Do reference checks on these people
and, on the basis of your reference checks, select a short list of three
to five people. If you get a manageable number of applications, you
can:
-
do reference checks on them all and then develop a short list, or
-
develop the short list on the basis of the applications and only do reference
checks for the applicants who are short-listed or interviewed.
The process of creating a short list can be coordinated by a contracted
consultant, the Regional Director of Education or some other individual
external to the board. However, actual decision-making responsibility
should rest with the board. Because the board has legal and ethical
responsibility for hiring, board members should decide who is on the short
list.
Table of Contents
Do Reference Checks
There is no single “correct time” to do reference checks. Reference
checks can be done at any of the following points in the selection process:
-
after the creation of a preliminary short list of eight to ten people
-
after the creation of a short list of three to five people
-
after the interviews.
The point at which you do reference checks depends on the number of applications
you get, how much information you have about the people applying, and the
board’s preference.
Candidates will give you the names of references in their application
or at the job interview. In some cases, you may want to check with former
employers, if they are not included in the references given.
The appropriate procedure for checking with former employers is:
-
ask the candidate for the names of former employers
-
advise the candidate that you will be checking with former employers.
If a candidate asks you not to check with one or more former employers,
this should raise a red flag. It indicates there was a problem in
at least one previous job situation. Ask the candidate why s/he doesn’t
want you to check and do further inquiries.
The person who does the reference checks should be someone who is familiar
with Saskatchewan’s education system, for example, the chairperson of the
board of education, the Regional Director of Education, or someone from
the SSTA. In the reference checks, ask about the strengths and weaknesses
of each candidate. You might also ask specific questions about the
individual’s ability to work with others and his or her leadership style.
Then summarize the results of the reference checks in a single written
page for each candidate. Distribute this summary page to the members
of the board. Appendix 2 provides a form that you can use during
reference checks.
Do reference checks in a formal manner and ask the same questions of
each reference contacted. Casual inquiries should not be accepted
in place of a formal reference check.
Table of Contents
Notify Short-Listed Candidates
After three to five candidates have been short-listed, contact these candidates
by phone:
-
Tell them they have been short-listed.
-
Tell them about additional information you will be sending them.
-
Ask them to send you additional information and give the date by which
this information is expected.
-
Tell them that someone will be getting in touch with them in the next few
days to set up an interview and to describe the interview process.
Table of Contents
Share Information
with Short-Listed Candidates
Generally, after three to five candidates have been short-listed, there
is further sharing of information between the board and the candidates.
Information
That Board Sends to Candidates
-
Director of education job description.
-
School division mission, vision and goals.
-
Any reports or documents that provide more details about the school division,
for example, current plans for the actualization of Core Curriculum, school
division strategic plan, etc.
-
Information about the communities in the school division. The local
economic development authority or town/city offices usually have this type
of information.
Information
That Candidates Send to Board
Many boards ask short-listed candidates for some or all of the following
pieces of written information:
-
Official transcripts of university marks and degrees. This is important
because there have been cases of academic fraud.
-
Names and phone numbers of three references (if this information was not
submitted with the original application).
-
Written statement describing his or her:
-
philosophy of education
-
ideal relationship with the board of education
-
approach to working with community.
-
Copies of any academic articles they have written, and non-confidential
work plans or discussion papers they prepared for other employers.
-
Criminal records check – If you require a criminal records check, go to
the local RCMP or city police. They will give you a form that the
candidate must complete requesting a criminal records check. The
police process the form and return the results to the candidate.
(The police may charge a fee for this service.) The candidate then
submits the completed criminal records check form to the board. Applicants
who have serious offences on their record often decide to withdraw their
application at this point.
Table of Contents
Interview Candidates
This section on interviewing candidates covers four topics:
-
The Selection Panel
-
The Interview
-
Other Input to the Selection Process
-
Making a Decision
Table of Contents
The Selection Panel
In many cases, the entire board of education acts as a selection panel.
All board members participate in interviews of short-listed candidates
and are involved in making the decision about the most suitable candidate.
All board members will have to work with the director of education in
the future, so it is important to hire someone who all members feel comfortable
with.
Occasionally, a board of education will designate a selection panel
of five or six people to conduct the interviews and make the selection.
The danger of this approach is that some board members who were not on
the selection panel may find it difficult to work with the individual selected
by the panel, or they may feel that they were excluded from participation
in a very important decision.
Serving on the selection panel involves considerable work. Members
of the selection panel:
-
read the written applications and additional materials submitted by short-listed
candidates
-
participate in all interviews
-
participate in other selection activities, for example, candidates may
be asked to give a presentation to the community
-
participate in discussions about the strengths and weaknesses of the various
candidates and help shape the final decision.
Table of Contents
The Interview
-
Hold the interview in an accessible room and building so any candidates
or board members who use a wheelchair or walking aids can move around easily.
-
Allow two hours for each interview. Any shorter and you won’t be
able to get enough information. Any longer and people’s energy begins
to fade
-
A list of possible interview questions appear in Appendix 3. There
are more questions in this appendix than you will need. Select the
ones that are most appropriate for your situation and revise them as you
wish, so they are suitable for your situation. You can also use Appendix
3 to rate candidates’ responses during the interview.
-
Establish your list of interview questions beforehand, and have the same
people ask the same questions in the same order each time. This ensures
a consistent interview format and greater fairness for applicants.
It also makes it easier for you to compare candidates’ responses.
-
If you set a time limit for certain questions, be sure that the time limit
is enforced with all candidates.
-
Do not ask questions about candidates' race, age or sexual orientation.
Do not ask female candidates questions about their child care arrangement,
what their spouse thinks about their application, or about whether they
plan to add to their family.
Table of Contents
Other Input to the Selection
Process
Choosing a director of education is a very important decision, perhaps
the most important decision the board will make. It is sometimes
difficult to fully assess candidates on the basis of their written application
and a two-hour interview. Indeed, these activities give you little
insight into important considerations such as the candidate’s ability to
collaborate with others, to listen and to resolve conflict. Reference
checks are a help, but there is a tendency for references to give only
positive information and to say what they think you want to hear.
Some boards of education get input from other sources in order to get a
more comprehensive picture of candidates. Some sources of input you
might consider are:
-
Ask the candidates to make an oral presentation on their philosophy
of education and approach to leadership. This presentation might
be given to a group of 25-30 people composed of the board of education,
teachers and principals, school support staff (like bus drivers), high
school students, parent representatives and community representatives.
Ask each person attending to fill out the observation sheet in Appendix
4 and hand it in to the board of education.
-
Ask the candidates to participate in an information sharing session
with service providers within the school division. Integrated
school-linked services places heavy emphasis on working with other agencies
that serve children. These agencies include Saskatchewan Social Services,
the local health district, and the local Friendship Centre. Ask a
group of five or six service providers to meet with the candidates.
The service providers will be able to assess how well the candidate listens
and whether the candidate becomes one of the group or tries to dominate
the group. Ask each service provider participating in this activity
to complete the observation sheet in Appendix 4.
-
Ask the candidate to meet with local board chairs (in rural areas) or
chairs of local school advisory committees (in cities). This
meeting can be as formal or informal as you wish. This meeting should
be structured to give the participants an opportunity to assess the candidates’
knowledge of educational issues and their interpersonal skills. Ask
each participant to fill out the observation form in Appendix 4 for each
candidate.
-
Take the candidates out for a meal. This is a gracious gesture,
but it also gives you an opportunity to assess the candidates in an informal
situation. The director of education will represent the board and
the school division at many community functions, so candidates’ competence
in social situations matters. Ask each person who joins the candidate
at the meal to complete the observation sheet in Appendix 4.
Table of Contents
Making a Decision
By the time you are ready to make a decision you will have collected numerous
pieces of information about each candidate. You will probably have:
-
Written application /resume
-
University transcripts
-
Written statement of educational philosophy
-
Reports, articles and other work samples
-
Criminal record check form
-
Information from reference checks
-
Data collected during interviews
-
Observation forms completed by people who participated in other selection
activities (presentations, meetings, meals)
-
Subjective impressions of the board of education
All of this information should be considered when you make a decision.
Weigh all of the information collected against the criteria you established
when you began the recruitment process.
Most boards of education make the decision through a process of discussion
and consensus, because the person selected has to be someone all board
members can work with.
After you have selected your first choice applicant, identify your second
and third choices. This will be helpful if the first choice applicant accepts
another position or changes her or his mind about the job.
Table of Contents
Part 3 - Following Up
The selection process isn’t finished when you choose one candidate for
the position of director of education. Follow-up tasks include:
-
Inform Successful Candidate and Negotiate a Contract
-
Inform Unsuccessful Applicants
-
Announce the Appointment
-
Orient the New Director of Education
These follow-up tasks are described in more detail in the sections that
follow.
Table of Contents
Inform
Successful Candidate and Negotiate a Contract
This section covers four topics:
-
Inform the Successful Candidate
-
Negotiate the Contract of Employment
-
Make a Formal Offer of Employment
-
File the Contract with Pension Plans
Table of Contents
Inform the Successful Candidate
As soon as a decision is made, call the successful candidate and inform
him or her of the decision. Typically, this call is made by the chairperson
of the board of education. In this call:
-
Congratulate the applicant and tell him or her that the job offer is conditional
on negotiation of a mutually acceptable contract.
-
Ask if s/he is still available for the position. (If the applicant
has already accepted other employment, or has changed his or her mind,
then move on to the board’s second choice candidate.)
-
Make plans to meet to discuss a contract.
Table of Contents
Negotiate the Contract
of Employment
By law, a contract between a director of education and a board of education
must specify:
-
The yearly salary and other allowances (other allowances can include an
allocation for professional development, and the rate at which travel expenses
will be paid)
-
Vacation entitlement
-
The procedure for review of the terms of the contract by either party
-
The procedure for termination of the contract by either party
-
Any other terms of employment that are mutually agreed upon. These
other terms might include items like sick leave, educational leave, housing
allowance, leave for family emergency, timing of vacations, etc. Since
membership in LEADS is a requirement of the job, some boards of education
pay the director’s LEADS fees.
Consult with the SSTA for information about the current salary range for
directors of education and benefits provided. The SSTA will be able
to give you an estimate of what other boards of various sizes and types
are paying.
Some boards of education contract with a director for a specific period
of time (usually five years). Other boards offer a contract that
is valid until it is terminated by either party. The board may prefer
one type over the other, or this may be a matter for negotiation with the
successful candidate.
A sample contract is provided in Appendix 5. The sample contract
in Appendix 5 assumes that:
-
the director of education is being hired for a specific period of time
-
the new director of education was previously an employee of the board.
If this is not the case in your situation, modify the contract appropriately.
Contract negotiations are usually handled in one of the following ways:
-
If the salary and benefits the applicant requested at the interview are
considered reasonable and appropriate, simply write up a draft contract,
fax or e-mail it to the applicant and then work on the fine points.
-
If the applicant’s salary and benefits expectations are out of line with
what the board considers reasonable, meet with the candidate, explain that
her or his salary expectations are greater than the salary usually paid
to newly hired directors in your type of school division. Try to
negotiate a compromise. If compromise isn’t possible, then move on
to the board’s second choice candidate.
Table of Contents
Make a Formal Offer of
Employment
As soon as you have agreed on contractual terms, make a formal written
offer of employment and enclose the contract that has been negotiated.
Give the candidate a specified time to either accept or reject the offer
of employment in writing. Usually, this specified time is quite short
– a week or less.
If the candidate accepts, the process is near completion. If s/he
rejects the offer of employment, then move on to the board’s second choice
candidate.
Table of Contents
File the Contract with
Pension Plans
Regulation 7.1(1) to The Education Act 1995 requires that the person
you hire file copies of all contracts of employment and subsequent amendments
and revisions with the Teachers’ Superannuation Commission or the Saskatchewan
Teachers’ Retirement Plan (whichever applies). This must be done
within 30 days of the date on which the contract comes into effect.
Sometimes, the board of education files the employment contract on behalf
of its employee.
Table of Contents
Inform Unsuccessful Applicants
Candidates will want to know about the status of their application as soon
as possible. After you have made a verbal offer to one applicant,
phone all the other people you interviewed and tell them that a verbal
offer has been made, and that if the verbal offer is rejected, you will
get back to them.
As soon as your choice for the position of director of education has
accepted the job offer in writing, write letters to the unsuccessful applicants.
All applicants put a lot of effort into organizing their applications and
preparing for the interview. They deserve the courtesy of a formal
letter.
-
Tell the candidate that his or her application was not successful.
-
Give the name of the person who was appointed.
-
Thank the candidate for the time and effort they put into preparing their
application.
Get these letters out as quickly as possible. Unsuccessful candidates should
be informed before news of the appointment is widely publicized.
Some applicants may have loaned you work samples, articles, reports
and other materials. Be sure to send back any materials that applicants
want returned.
Table of Contents
Announce the Appointment
You are required by law to notify the Minister of Education of the name
and address of the person appointed. A letter to the Regional Director
of Education fulfils this requirement.
People in the local community, the school division staff and members
of Saskatchewan’s wider educational community will be aware of the search
and will be curious about who the successful applicant is. Some ideas
for informing school division staff and others include:
-
Put an announcement on the school division web page.
-
Send an e-mail to all schools in your division and ask the principal or
school secretary to post a copy of the e-mail in the staff room.
-
Issue a media release. Send it to the local newspaper, radio and
TV station, and to senior managers at Saskatchewan Education, Saskatchewan
School Trustees Association and Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation.
-
Phone the editor of the local newspaper and the news directors of local
TV or radio stations. Tell these media representatives when the new director
of education is expected to begin work and invite the media to interview
the new director.
-
Notify LEADS and SASBO (Saskatchewan Association of School Business Officials)
with an e-mail as soon as possible.
-
Put a short article in school newsletters or send a special flyer home
to parents.
-
Put an announcement of the appointment on bulletin boards in every high
school in the school division.
When you announce the appointment, give the new director’s name and a brief
biography outlining the director’s educational background and past experience.
Include a photo, if possible, and give the date on which the director will
be starting work.
Table of Contents
Orient the New Director
of Education
A new director of education’s first task is to get oriented to what’s going
on in the school division. You can expect the director to take some
initiative in this regard. For example, a proactive director of education
will visit each school in the division, meet with each principal and attend
a staff meeting at each school. However, the board of education can
play an important role in orientating a new director of education.
The board of education can:
-
Make the director aware of all current board policies.
-
Identify policies that are still in the implementation stages.
-
Set timelines for implementation of certain programs and policies.
-
Make plans for accountability – for example discuss how the director’s
job performance will be assessed and make plans to determine how programs
are achieving their objectives.
-
Make the new director aware of ongoing problems, concerns and issues in
the school division.
-
Make the new director aware of the school division’s successes and achievements
over
the past few years.
-
Make plans to celebrate students, school and school division successes
in the future.
-
Hold one or more coffee parties to introduce the new director to key people
in the community.
Table of Contents
Recruiting
a Director of Education Summary Checklist
This checklist summarizes all of the important steps in recruiting and
hiring a director of education. More information about each of these
steps is provided in the body of this document.
Summary Checklist
| Planning |
Assign Responsibilities
Options within education system
Regional Director of Education
Board of education resources
human resources department
members of the board of education
Fee-for-Service Options
SSTA
Executive search company
Consultant
Remember
Decide who will do what tasks
Reserve decision making for the board, regardless of who is handling administrative
and clerical tasks
Develop a formal, written agreement, if you are using outside resources
Be prepared to revise and change the way you assign responsibility
|
Establish a Budget
Your budget may include:
consultants’ fees
travel costs
newspaper advertising
long distance phone
hospitality costs
Set the Stage
Review vision, mission and goals for the school division
Develop (or revise) a job description for the director of education
Notify the Regional Director of Education, in Writing, That You
Are Recruiting a Director of Education
Be Aware of Potential Problems
Conflicts of interest
Pressure from candidates
|
| Recruiting |
Decide on Criteria
Minimum legal requirements
Professional criteria
education
administrative experience
teaching experience
First Nations experience
Financial management skills
Personnel management skills
Educational leadership skills
Personal characteristics
Criminal records check
Critical factors – What are the four or five absolutely essential skills
and attributes?
Organize the Job Ad
Write the job ad
-
description of school division
-
candidates’ qualifications
-
references
-
information about submitting application
-
deadline date
Place the Job Ad
Decide which papers and websites to run ad in
Regina Leader-Post and Saskatoon Star-Phoenix
STF Bulletin
SaskJobs
LEADS website
Daily newspapers in other prairie provinces
Local daily or weekly newspaper
Other daily newspapers
First Nations newspapers
SWAAC newsletter
National newspapers (Globe & Mail, National Post)
Decide how many times ad is to run
Put ad on school division website
Widen the Search
Use networking and word-of-mouth to let qualified applicants know about
the search
|
Handle Applications
Set up a file for each applicant
Will applications be accepted after the deadline?
Who will have access to the files?
Will applicants be allowed to apply in confidence?
Will applicants be told how many others have applied? are being interviewed?
After the competition, what happens to applications?
Screen Applicants
Provide the board with a list of all applicants
Screen for legal requirements
Create a short list
Notify short-listed candidates
Share information with short-listed candidates
Board can send candidates: job description; school division mission,
vision and goals; other information about school division and community
Candidates can send board: university transcripts, references, written
statement of philosophy, criminal records check, work samples
Check references – can be done before or after interviews
Interview Candidates
Usually whole board conducts interviews
Conduct interviews – follow same format for each interview·
Get other input (opinions of staff, community members, chairs of district
boards and local school advisory committees
Make a decision – ensure that successful applicant is someone all board
members can work with
|
| Following
Up |
Inform Successful Candidate
Make verbal offer
Notify other candidates that a verbal offer has been made
Negotiate a Contract
Contract can be for a specific period of time (e.g., five years) or valid
until terminated
Contract must specify:
yearly salary and other allowances
vacation
procedure for review of contract
procedure for termination of contract
other terms
Make a formal written offer of employment
give a deadline for written response to offer
|
Inform Unsuccessful Applicants
Phone unsuccessful applicants to tell them a verbal offer has been made
Write formal letters when first-choice candidate accepts
Return work samples and other materials
Appointment
Notify Regional Director of Education
Notify school division staff, media, local community, education community
as a whole.
File Contract with Teachers’ Superannuation Commission and the Saskatchewan
Teachers’ Retirement Plan
Orient the New Director to the School Division |
Table of Contents
Appendices
Appendix 1: Sample Job
Ads
 |
|
DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION/C.E.O.
|
| The Board of Trustees invites applications
for the position of Director of Education/C.E.O. for the Prairie West School
Division No. 75. Duties will commence August 1 or as mutually agreed. |
| THE SCHOOL DIVISION
The Prairie West School Division No. 75 is proud of
the strong relationships it has with its dedicated staff, parents and communities
in a growing and innovative environment. These strong relationships
foster learning that provides outstanding educational opportunities for
all children through a full range of programming.
The Division theme “Growing in Excellence, Rural-Inviting
– Learner Centred” highlights our firm believe in the promotion of rural
values to the children we serve.
The Prairie West School Division spans 5,800 square
kilometres and serves the needs of 1,200 students within 11 schools.
The Division schools are located in Cabri, Success, Waldeck, Stewart Valley,
Wymark, Neville and Vanguard. In addition, the Division shares ownership
of the Swift Current Comprehensive High School, and operates an alternative
education program in Swift Current.
The Division operating budget for 2001 is $9,300,000.00.
MORE INFORMATION
For more information, visit our web-site at: http://www.prairie-west-schools.sk.ca/
or call (306) 773-9358. |
THE CANDIDATE
The Board seeks a chief executive officer whose philosophy
is committed to rural education and the principles of integrity and respect.
The candidate will have an exemplary record of accomplishments in public
education dedicated to children, team building and staff development.
Excellent interpersonal , communication, and administrative
skills, strong abilities in leadership, strategic planning, and fiscal
management, together with high ethical standards and a commitment to Board
government is required.
A compassionate, inspiring individual who embraces
high standards, effectively leads change and who welcomes constant improvement
is sought. The candidate must be eligible for L.E.A.D.S. membership.
APPLICATIONS
Submit by June 22, 2001, a cover letter, current resume,
include list of references:Peter Neufeld, Chairperson
Prairie West School Division No. 75
110-11th Avenue N.W.
Swift Current, Saskatchewan S9H 1B8
Telephone: (306) 773-9358
Facsimile: (306) 778-2668
E-mail: pwsd75.off1@sk.sympatico.ca |
Growing in Excellence
Rural—Inviting—Learner
Centered
|
|
(Used with permission.)
Kindersley School Division #34
invites applications for the position of
DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION
The Kindersley School Division is located in the heart
of West Central Saskatchewan. It is one of the largest rural School
Divisions in the area with offices located in the Town of Kindersley which
has a population of approximately 5,000.
The school system provides a full range of K-12 programs
and services for approximately 1720 students whose educational needs are
being served by 107 teachers and 50 support staff.
The Position:
The Director is the Chief Executive Officer and the educational
leader of the School Division.
Qualifications:
The successful candidate will:
(a) hold or be eligible to obtain a Saskatchewan Professional
“A” teaching certificate;
(b) have at least one year of graduate study at a recognized
university in a field related to major duties of the Director of Education;
(c) have completed at least five years teaching
experience in Canada at the elementary and secondary level which are acceptable
to the Board;
(d) have completed at least five years of successful
administrative experience in Canada, with preference for Division Office
experience;
(e) be eligible for membership in LEADS;
(f) Kindersley School Division will confirm employment
upon receipt of satisfactory criminal records check.
Commencement:
Starting date for the position is negotiable.
Salary and Benefits: The compensation package will
be negotiated in accordance with education and experience, directly with
the successful applicant.
For further information contact Mr. Pat Donegan, Director
of Education at (306) 463-4657 or by email at doneganp@ksd.sk.ca
Please submit your resume, transcripts and list of references
by Friday, February 23, 2001 at 4:00 p.m. to:
Richard Douglas, Chairperson
Kindersley School Division #34
Box 1209
Kindersley, SK S0L1S0
Fax: (306) 463-3077
For further information on the schools and the Kindersley
School Division, please check our website at www.ksd.sk.ca |
(Used with permission.) |
The Boards of Education of the
Scenic Valley School Division No. 117
and the
Broadview School Division No. 18
invites applications for the position of
Director of Education
with duties to commence August 1, 2001
The Scenic Valley School Division serves 1,216 pupils
in 5 centres while the Broadview Division has an enrollment of 929 pupils
in 5 centres. Included in those enrollments are a large number of
pupils from 8 First Nations communities. Between them the Divisions
have a professional staff of approximately 140 teachers and a support staff
of about 90.
The Position
The Scenic Valley and Broadview Divisions have agreed
to work towards amalgamating August 1, 2002 but for the 2001/02 school
year will operate separately with a common Director. The Director
is the chief executive of both Boards of Education.
Qualifications
The successful candidate will
hold a Saskatchewan Professional “A” certificate
have at least one year of graduate study in a field related
to the major duties of the Director
have successful teaching and administrative experience in
Canadian elementary or secondary schools
be eligible for membership in LEADS
In addition the candidate should
have excellent interpersonal, communication and organizational
skills
ave experience in rural education
have experience working with First Nations people
For further information about the position call either
of the current incumbent directors – Lynne Saas at (306) 748-2523 or Dexter
Samida at (306) 696-2566.
Letters of application, including a complete resume,
names and telephone numbers of at least three references familiar with
your work in a school system and your administrative ability, and your
academic qualifications will be accepted until March 8, 2001. Applications
to be directed to:
Director Search Committee
Box 100
Neudorf, Saskatchewan
S0A 2T0
Fax: (306) 748-2753
|
(Used with permission.) |
Table of Contents
Appendix 2: Reference
Checklist
Use this form (or one similar) when you are doing reference checks.
Ask the same questions, in the same order for each reference check.
The questions below are quite general. General questions often get
a more comprehensive response than very narrow, highly focussed questions.
Use more specific questions if appropriate for your situation.
| Name of reference: |
___________________________________ |
| Name of applicant: |
___________________________________ |
| Name of person doing reference check: |
___________________________________ |
| Date of reference check: |
___________________________________ |
| |
|
| 1. Under what circumstances did you know Mr./Ms. XYZ? |
| |
|
| 2. What was the nature of your working relationship? |
| |
|
| 3. How long did you know (work with) Mr./Ms. XYZ? |
| |
|
| 4. What would you consider Mr./Ms. XYZ’s achievements to
be in the situation where you worked with her/him? |
| |
|
| 5. What would you consider Mr./Ms. XYZ’s areas of challenge
to be in the situation where you worked with her/him? |
| |
|
| 6. How would you describe Mr./Ms. XYZ’s interpersonal style? |
| |
|
| 7. What are Mr./Ms. XYZ’s strengths? |
| |
|
| 8. What are Mr./Ms. XYZ’s weaknesses? |
| |
|
| 9. Would you hire Mr./Ms. XYZ for the position of director
of education? Why or why not? |
| |
|
| 10. What other relevant information can you give me about Mr./Ms. XYZ? |
|
|
Table of Contents
Appendix 3: Director of
Education: Sample Interview Questions
Sample questions that might be asked of applicants for the director of
education job appear below. These questions are examples only.
Revise and change them so they are appropriate for your situation.
There are more questions below than can be accommodated in a two-hour interview.
Select the ones that are most relevant for your situation.
When you interview candidates ensure fairness and comparability of responses
by using a set of predetermined questions and asking the same questions
in the same order. The same interviewers should ask the same questions
in each interview. If you set a time limit for each question or set
of questions, ensure that the time limits are the same for each person
interviewed.
| Applicant’s Name |
________________________ |
Interview Date ________________ |
|
| Assessor’s Name |
________________________________________ |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rating
|
|
|
|
Weak Strong |
|
|
|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
| 1. Introduction |
| Introduce the people at the table.
We have had an opportunity to consider your written application; now
we’d like you to tell us how your academic training and experience qualifies
you for this job.
|
| 1.1 Why have you applied for this position? Why do
you want to leave your present position? |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
| 1.2 Describe one activity you have done recently in your
present job that you are proud of. |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
| 1.3 Describe one activity you’ve done recently in your
present job that you feel didn’t go well. |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
| 1.4 How would you describe your work ethic? |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
| 2. Director
of Education – Board of Education Relationships |
| 2.1 Describe your leadership style. |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
| 2.2 Please describe the role of the board of education
under your administration. |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
| 2.3 Describe the type of relationship you see yourself
having with the board of education (communication, involvement in decision-making). |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
| 2.4 How would you handle a situation where you don’t personally
agree with a board decision that you are expected to implement? |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
| 3. Director
of Education – Community Relationships |
| 3.1 What type of relationship do you see between the director
of education and the community as a whole? |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
| 3.2 What do you do to resolve conflict situations?
For example, how would you handle a conflict between a teacher and a parent
that cannot be resolved by the principal, or a conflict between two special
interests groups with differing expectations? |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
| 3.3 What would you do if a special interest
group came to you complaining that their particular point of view is not
reflected in the school program and threatened to take their concerns to
the media? |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
| 3.4 If the local newspaper wants to interview
you when you begin your job, what are the most important points you will
make? |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
| 4. The Role
of the Director of Education |
| 4.1 Section 108(c) of The Education Act, 1995 states
that the director of education “shall exercise general supervision of the
schools and the work of principals, teachers and other personnel employed
by the board.”
In your opinion, what kind of supervisor gets the most out of people? |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
4.2 Please describe what you would see as an appropriate
relationship between the director of education, as chief executive officer
of the board of education, and other school system staff. 1 2 3 4 5
-
Superintendent of administration – finance
-
Superintendent of curriculum
-
Superintendent of special education
-
Maintenance supervisor
-
Central office support staff
-
Principals
-
Teachers
-
Caretakers
-
District boards
|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
| 5. Curriculum |
| 5.1 What are some of the indicators that sound instruction
is occurring in a classroom? |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
| 5.2 Please describe some of the experiences you have had
as an administrator: |
|
| (a) Facilitating the implementation of new courses of study. |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
| (b) Promoting a continuum of student learning in each subject
as students progress from one grade to the next. |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
| (c) Monitoring the achievement of students on a school
or division basis. |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
| (d) Implementing or promoting resource-based learning. |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
| (e) Facilitating co-operative efforts to achieve a smooth
transition for students from the K-12 system to post-secondary institutions
and the world of work. |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
| (f) Facilitating equity in all curriculum initiatives. |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
| 5.3 Describe your knowledge and/or skills in computer technology
and describe to us the future impact this technology will have for our
children in teaching and learning. |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
| 5.4 What are the purposes of student evaluation? |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
| 5.5 Suppose a parent contacts you with a concern
that her son is not achieving well in school. She is in tears, and
complains that her first indication that her child is having trouble came
with today’s report card. However, she has often requested that the school
let her know at once if things are not going well.What is your initial
reaction, and what steps would you take to deal with the situation? |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
| 6. Teacher Supervision |
| 6.1 What type of teacher supervision program would you
implement as a director of education? |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
| 6.2 What do you see as an appropriate role for the principal
in the process of teacher evaluation? |
|
| 6.3 How do you feel about teacher self-evaluation and peer
evaluation? |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
| 6.4 In your opinion, what kind of supervisor gets the most
out of people? |
|
| 6.5 In supervising teachers, you will need to be aware
of the elements essential to effective teaching. |
|
| (a) What elements do you consider as essential to effective
teaching? |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
(b) What procedures would you use to deal with a teacher
you perceived to be:
-
marginally competent?
-
incompetent?
|
|
| 6.6 How would you deal with a teacher, principal or support
staff who is openly critical of you to other staff members or the public? |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
| 7. Educational
Issues |
| 7.1 Our school division has a number of programs in place
for children at-risk. What experience/knowledge do you bring to work
effectively with these children? |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
7.2 Our school division provides educational services to
# of students. Within the school division
there are a variety of schools. Please describe the experience and/or
leadership style you have had or would use in each of the following circumstances:
-
high number of Aboriginal children with many of them requiring support
to enhance their achievement and self-esteem
-
rural K-12 schools with a high school population of approximately 50 students
each
-
large comprehensive high school with a wide variety of programs
-
a dual track K-6 school – French and English
-
inner city school where students experience many social and economic disadvantages
|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
| 7.3 What do you see as other important issues in education
in Saskatchewan that will need to be resolved in the next few years? |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
| 7.4 Home-schooling numbers are increasing across Saskatchewan.
What experiences/relationships have you had with these parents and students? |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
| 7.5 What part of the director of education’s responsibility
do you see as creating the greatest pressure? |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
| 7.6 What part of the director of education’s responsibility
do you see as giving you the most pleasure and the greatest rewards? |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
| 7.7 When you make a mistake, what do you do? |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
| 7.8 If you were to assume the position of director of education,
what would be your priorities? What steps would you take to achieve
these priorities? |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
| 8. Personal |
| 8.1 If you were offered the position, how long
would you need to decide if you are going to accept and on what date could
you be available for work? |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
| 8.2 Are there any personal, business, health, or family
considerations that would limit your flexibility for taking on a new assignment? |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
| 8.3 What kind of compensation package would you expect?
For example:· Salary· Sick leave· Holidays·
Professional development |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
| 9. Candidate’s
Questions |
| 9.1 Is there a question that we have not asked, that you
hoped we would? |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
| 9.2 What questions do you have for us? |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
| 10. Disclosure
Question |
| 10.1 Is there anything in your past that you have not shared
with us that would influence our decision to offer you this position? |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
| 11. Closing
Remarks |
| Thank you for coming, etc.
You can expect to hear from us within two weeks.
The secretary-treasurer (search consultant, etc.) will give you an expense
form to fill out for your travel expenses. |
| 12. Other
– Personal Characteristics, Overall Impression, Character |
| |
|
|
|
| 13. What
are the three greatest strengths of this applicant? |
| |
|
|
|
| 14. What
are the limitations of this applicant? |
| |
|
|
|
|
Table of Contents
Appendix 4: Director of
Education: Candidate Observation Sheet
Name of Candidate ____________________________
Date ____________________
Situation in which you observed candidate _____________________________________
What, in your opinion, are this candidate’s strengths?
What, in your opinion, are this candidate’s weaknesses?
Your name: _________________________________________________
Your signature: _________________________________________________
|
Table of Contents
Appendix
5: Director of Education: Sample Contract of Employment
This sample contract assumes that:
-
the director of education is being hired for a specific period of time
-
the director of education was previously an employee of the board
If these conditions do not apply in your situation, modify this contract
appropriately. Note that the director’s job description would be
attached as Schedule A to this contract.
Contact the SSTA’s Legal Services Department if you need help developing
a contract.
Sample Contract of Employment
Between
_____________________________________________________
(hereinafter referred to as “The Board” of the first part)
and
_____________________________________________________
(hereinafter referred to as “The Director” of the second part)
This Employment Contract made and entered into this ______ day of _______________,
20___ and between the __________________________ and ________________________
Now, therefore, the Board and the Director hereto agree as follows:
1. The Board does hereby appoint ________________________ as Director
of Education and does hereby constitute and appoint the said ________________________
to be Chief Executive Officer of the Board with Performance Responsibilities
and Goals per Schedule A.
2. TERM
The Board hereby employs and the Director hereby accepts employment
as Director of Education for the term commencing ____________________________
and terminating ___________________________.
3. SALARY
The Board shall pay the Director a salary of $_______________ per annum.
4. TRANSPORTATION
The Board agrees to pay the Director for all business travel at the
Board approved Division rate and a monthly car allowance of $_______________.
5. EXPENSES
The Board will reimburse the Director for reasonable expenses incurred
by the Director in the performance of his/her duties. Expenses include
transportation, food and lodging, as well as registration fees for conferences
approved by the Board.
6. BENEFITS
(a) The Board will acknowledge the Director’s accumulated sick leave
entitlement currently in existence with the Board.
(b) The Board will provide the Director with, at minimum, the same
medical and insurance benefits as provided to other teaching staff members.
The Board will contribute 100% of the premium cost.
7. VACATION
The Director will be entitled to ______ weeks of vacation per annum.
8. The Board agrees to pay the annual LEADS fees for the Director.
9. The Board will provide the Director with a personal public relations
account of $______________.
10. The Parties agree that in the event of amalgamation and the Director’s
contract is not extended beyond __________________ that he will return
to her/his position as ____________________ of _________________________.
In Witness Whereof the parties hereto have approved this employment
contract effective on the day and year specified in Article 2.
____________________________________________
Board of Education
____________________________________________
Director of Education
____________________________________________
Witness
|
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