Hillsborough County Public Schools Information and Technology
Action Item

DATE: Tuesday, June 12, 2007
TO: School Board Members
FROM: MaryEllen Elia, Superintendent

SUBJECT / RECOMMENDATIONS

Approve Agreements for Technical Services for Summer Work to Prepare for and Set Up Annual New Teacher Orientation at East Bay High School and Eisenhower Middle School (Information and Technology Division)

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The District is committed to recruiting and retaining effective, highly qualified teachers for all of our schools and students. An early step in that retention is New Teacher Orientation, during which our new educators are inducted into our profession and welcomed to our district. The Staff Development Office conducts an annual four-day New Teacher Orientation prior to the start of each school year. This huge undertaking requires the efforts of many people from Staff Development, as well as from a number of teachers who assist.

Teachers who attend New Teacher Orientation are divided into small cadres, based on the schools where they will teach. The groups are separated out by elementary, middle, and high school. Experienced teachers, from their same grade levels, deliver training in classroom management, instructional planning and delivery, professional ethics and working with students. They also discuss district policies and procedures. This event prepares newly-hired teachers in the district to start the school year with enthusiasm and the tools they need to be successful.

In anticipation of approximately 1000 participating teachers, books, notebooks, and materials are moved to East Bay and Eisenhower. All of these materials need to be organized and moved into training rooms. Rooms need to be set up and decorated to welcome the new hires. The gymnasium at East Bay is to be organized as a welcome and registration area, where all participating teachers meet each morning to sign in. The cafeteria is set up not only for breakfast and lunch, but also as a place for our sponsors. Tables are set up for sponsors and organizations such as Suncoast Schools Federal Credit Union and the Classroom Teachers Association.

All of this organization takes months of preparation and more than a month of labor at the school site. Each year Staff Development contracts several teachers to assist with this organization and set up. There are two contracts each for three teachers to assist with New Teacher Orientation. Due to the fact that the time they will work crosses the fiscal year, contracts were written to reflect time worked in June as one set of contracts and time worked in July as another set of contracts.

ANNUAL DISTRICT GOAL(S) AND CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTOR(S)

All District Goals and Critical Success Factors

FINANCIAL IMPACT (Budgeted: Yes)

Funds for paying these contracts are from Staff Development training funds, Project 1380 and 4502, in the amount of 19,203.49.

EVALUATION

Teachers who attend New Teacher Orientation complete an evaluation of the program at its conclusion. This data is used to determine the effectiveness of the training and/or modify training for the following year.

SUBMITTED BY: Chuck Fleming, Director, Staff Development

Jack E. Davis
Chief Information and Technology Officer
(813) 272-4600
Gretchen Saunders
Chief Business Officer
(813) 272-4270
5.04
Hillsborough County Public Schools (Florida) * Mtg.#20070612_246 * Section E Item# 5.04