To succeed in today’s economy, organizations must invest in the skills, knowledge and abilities of their staff – i.e. human capital – to maximize their performance. Ranging from talent recruitment, to creating workplace practices and environments that encourage employees to develop and stay, these tactics are being used by organizations throughout the country to be more successful.
To compare how public school districts are investing in human capital compared to the best practices used in other sectors, the Center for American Progress (CAP) performed the first national survey of school districts’ human capital practices. Resulting in 108 responses from school districts around the country, the survey asked respondents to describe how they recruit new talent, develop teachers’ skills, and evaluate their teachers’ success in the classroom.
Ultimately, the survey finds that many of these districts have not kept pace with the human capital investment strategies used by other fields, and as a result create additional obstacles for themselves that prevent them retaining excellent talent. To combat this, CAP offers recommendations for school districts to improve their performance when it comes to recruiting, training, and retaining excellent teachers. Being the first of its kind, this report can help districts and schools discover what is working with teacher hiring and development programs, and where they can make improvements that better prepare educators, and ultimately, better support their students.
For the report, see https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/education/reports/2016/12/22/295574/to-attract-great-teachers-school-districts-must-improve-their-human-capital-systems/
