Metro looks to recruit 100 top teachers in 100 days

Calendars are marked. Metro school officials are giving themselves 100 days to recruit 100 top-flight teachers to some of Nashville's lowest-performing schools.

And they intend to offer financial incentives to meet that goal.

In the coming weeks, Metro Nashville Public Schools plans to formally unveil a campaign — its name is still undecided — that hinges on a carrot-based approach to hire or retain high-quality teachers they believe can help turn around schools with chronic academic woes.

"We realize that we have great teachers in our district, but we don't have enough successful, experienced teachers in our turnaround schools to move the needle in the direction that we want it to go," said Katie Cour, the district's executive director of talent strategy.

"We know money alone won't do it, but we will be offering additional funding."

The push comes as Director of Schools Jesse Register is calling new attention to schools, particularly in East Nashville, designated by the state as "priority schools" for falling in the bottom 5 percent in performance statewide. The number of such schools in Davidson County rose to 15 from six just two years ago, though only 13 of those remain open today.

In East Nashville, he has floated a controversial plan to close one or two priority schools, turn others over to charter school operators and create a new open "choice zone" to let parents pick their children's school.

With the new hiring campaign, the focus isn't only these schools, but also the more than 30 that are operating in the bottom 25 percent statewide.

Extra money available for teacher applicants could range from $10,000 to $15,000. Officials stress this might include not only a bonus, but also salary increases for teachers willing to sign 11-month contracts instead of typical 10-month contracts. Part of the stipend would be paid upfront, with more dollars coming at the end of their first and second years if they meet performance benchmarks.

Metro teachers earn around $60,000 on average, with starting salaries beginning at $40,000.

Besides money, the plan is to also offer additional leadership opportunities. The 100 selected teachers don't all have to come from outside the district — officials are encouraging current MNPS teaches to apply, too.

"We want the best ones to stay and we want to recruit the very best teachers we can," Register told a crowd of parents at East Nashville's Kirkpatrick Elementary School in September during an ongoing tour of Nashville's priority schools.

MNPS has a description of what it wants: experienced teachers who have proved they can produce achievement gains in urban settings. The district plans to screen teachers by January and let school leaders and principals pick their hires. Teachers would move into their new school by next summer.

Cour said Metro plans to identify schools across the country that are doing great work in the area of turnaround, and teachers who are standing out inside them. "We'll then do direct marketing and recruiting initiatives for them."

Looking at performance to reward teachers isn't a new concept for MNPS. The district last year unveiled a plan to give greater compensation to teachers who routinely score high on annual evaluations. The plan was scrapped, though, for a future alternative teacher plan that will eventually tie additional dollars to extra degrees and leadership roles.

Stephen Henry, president of the Metro Nashville Education Association, who said he hasn't seen the details of the incentive plan, agreed with the general premise behind it. "Certainly, where there's a crisis, that's where you need to have your most talented help."

But he cautioned: Installing great teachers and leaders can't be the only drivers of change at schools where kids have deep social and emotional needs.

"If we're only putting — and I don't know whether this is the case — a focus on having skilled teachers, but we're not addressing all those other issues that contribute to the success rate of a particular student, then we're still giving it window dressing."

Reach Joey Garrison at 615-259-8236 and on Twitter @joeygarrison

MNPS' teacher recruitment initiative:

Metro seeking 100 teachers experienced in producing achievement gains in urban settings

Applicants can come from inside and outside the district

Possible incentives could range from $10,000 to $15,000 over two years

Will unveil marketing plan to find top-tier teachers in schools nationwide