HUMAN RESOURCES

It is recommended that district and site administrators work closely with the district Human Resources department on teacher recruitment for the dual language immersion (DLI) program. (Refer to Module 5: Program Support: “Human Resources”)

• The Human Resources department needs to understand the DLI program to best meet its staffing needs.
• The job description for a teacher in the district will need to be modified to address the unique skills required to teach in the DLI program, including high levels of biliteracy (reading, writing, listening, speaking) in both English and the target language
• With the current shortage of teachers credentialed to teach in the target language, recruitment needs to begin and more fervently than for teachers in the regular education program
  • Most of the available teachers for DLI programs each year often have already signed contracts for the upcoming school year by the beginning of March
• Representatives from the Human Resources department must be willing to attend job fairs and conferences where teachers credentialed to teach in the target language can be recruited.
• Districts need to consider what incentives they might be able to offer to attract the limited number of teachers credentialed to teach in the target language.
  • Some districts offer annual stipends for teachers who are teaching in the DLI programs
  • Other districts offer additional release days for professional development and vertical planning for teachers in DLI programs
  • In order to compete for the limited number of teachers credentialed to teach in a DLI program, districts need to know what the other local districts who are seeking teachers for their DLI programs are offering
    • It will then be up to the district to decide if it can meet or beat the other local districts who are competing for teachers for their DLI program

Guiding Principles for Dual Language Education: Strand 5, Staff Quality and Professional Development, Principle 1