The
board of trustees of a school district will determine by rule
whether there are acute areas of teacher shortage in the district.
The local board of trustees’ determination must be based
on guidelines adopted by the commissioner of education. As required
by Government Code, Subchapter G, §824.602, these guidelines
are established as follows:
•
Districts should consider the list of areas of acute teacher shortage
as identified by the Texas Education Agency. The following web
address shows the current school year subject areas that are identified
as areas of acute teacher shortage:
http://www.tea.state.tx.us/eddev/retire/shortage.html
•
District should develop procedures that outline how the district
actively recruits qualified teachers through a variety of means.
Recruiting efforts should include a variety of approaches (e.g.,
advertisements, participation in job fairs, personnel cooperatives,
university recruiting efforts, or other recruitment strategies).
The board of trustees may determine local areas of acute teacher
shortage in areas where the district has exhausted recruiting
efforts and still been unable to employ qualified individuals.
Documentation sustaining recruiting efforts should be maintained
locally.
•
Districts must give preference in the hiring process for a position
as a classroom teacher to certified applicants who are not retirees
[Section 824.602 (a) (m) (3) of the Government Code]. How preferences
will be given is a decision of the district. In reaching that
decision, districts should develop criteria that outline the manner
in which preference will be given in the hiring process.
If
you have questions about these guidelines, please do not hesitate
to contact Laura J. Perez, Program Specialist at (512) 475-2160
or by e-mail at lperez@tea.state.tx.us.
