Build. Inspire. Connect.

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Build. Inspire. Connect.
CONFIDENTIAL

• DCPS Human Capital Strategy
• Education Leadership Case Competition

Presented by the team from the Stanford Graduate
School of Business February 21, 2009
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

• DCPS will need to hire 10-40 more teachers per
  year than it did in 2008 while facing
  significant uncertainty about whether the WTU
  contract will pass.
• Given this uncertainty, DCPS should commence a
  communication effort that will both increase the
  pool of teachers and guard against a collapse of
  the reform effort if the WTU contract is voted
  down.
• DCPS should take a portfolio marketing approach
  to reaching the various sources of new teachers,
  including recently unemployed STEM professionals,
  and refine its selection criteria over time to
  get better quality from this enlarged pool.

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

• DCPS will need to hire 10-40 more teachers per
  year than it did in 2008 while facing
  significant uncertainty about whether the WTU
  contract will pass.
• Given this uncertainty, DCPS should commence a
  communication effort that will both increase the
  pool of teachers and guard against a collapse of
  the reform effort if the WTU contract is voted
  down.
• DCPS should take a portfolio marketing approach
  to reaching the various sources of new teachers,
  including recently unemployed STEM professionals,
  and refine its selection criteria over time to
  get better quality from this enlarged pool.

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THE NEED FOR QUALITY TEACHERS WILL GROW
SUBSTANTIALLY OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS

• Urgent need
• Our kids desperately need higher quality teachers
• Increasing need
• Retirements of baby boom generation
• More stringent PPEP process
• Even greater need if improvements lead to
  increase in enrollment

• Assumptions
• 4-5 turnover due to PPEP
• Zero growth in enrollment, steady studentteacher
  ratio
• Attrition and retirement rates lower due to poor
  economy

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RECRUITMENT IS A NECESSARY BUT INSUFFICIENT
COMPONENT TO MEET FUTURE HIRING NEEDS AND TO
INCREASE TEACHER QUALITY

• Expand pipeline by developing recruitment
  channels
• Refine value proposition and message

• Review selection criteria
• Review hiring and placement process

• Assess needs of teachers and current programs

• Fully implement PPEP
• Build data assessment system
• Develop career value proposition

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DCPS SHOULD HAVE A PORTFOLIO OF RECRUITMENT
STRATEGIES TARGETING DIFFERENT POTENTIAL SOURCES
OF NEW HIRES
New teacher sources
Alt cert channel
Easier

• Theres no ideal single source for new teachers
  that will easily meet the full need
• Given that, DCPS should target all groups in a
  focused and efficient manner

Local new ed school grads
Ability to hire
Local veteran teachers
Career switchers / unemployed
Difficult
Out of state veteran teachers
Hundred
Thousand
Ten thousand
Number of potential high-quality hires
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LOSING THE CONTRACT NEGOTIATION COULD
SUBSTANTIALLY HINDER THE REFORM EFFORT

• Negative national and local media attention
• Perception as a loss by DCPS
• Potential loss of community faith in reform
  effort (e.g., here we go again)
• Organizational implications
• Loss of biggest recruitment lever (higher
  salaries) and lever to improve outcomes
  (performance pay)
• Loss of internal reform momentum
• Empowered Union
• Greater pressure from Council
• Greater political pressure on Mayor Fenty as he
  launches reelection campaign
• Implications for Chancellor Rhee
• Loss of national stature

DCPS must start preparing for this potential
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STAYING ON TRACK REQUIRES FOCUSING STAKEHOLDERS
ON THE CORE ELEMENTS OF THE REFORM EFFORT
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• Repaint the Picture
• Re-emphasize importance of investment in teacher
  quality and student outcomes
• Detail new plan to achieve the same mission

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• Attend to the Governance Issues
• Engage the Mayor in the process
• Articulate benefits of continued Mayoral control

1

• Guide the Discussion
• Focus on the future, not the past

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

• DCPS will need to hire 10-40 more teachers per
  year than it did in 2008 while facing
  significant uncertainty about whether the WTU
  contract will pass.
• Given this uncertainty, DCPS should commence a
  communication effort that will both increase the
  pool of teachers and guard against a collapse of
  the reform effort if the WTU contract is voted
  down.
• DCPS should take a portfolio marketing approach
  to reaching the various sources of new teachers,
  including recently unemployed STEM professionals,
  and refine its selection criteria over time to
  get better quality from this enlarged pool.

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RECRUITMENT MESSAGING MUST BOTH INSPIRE PEOPLE TO
BECOME TEACHERS AND ATTRACT EXISTING TEACHERS TO
DCPS
Build Cachet. Inspire to Teach. Connect to
Reform.
Rationale
Messages

• Raises cachet of being a teacher
• Speaks to multiple segments
• Leverages background of Michelle Rhee as a teacher

• Inspires by connecting individual with larger
  purpose
• Leverages change atmosphere and connection with
  D.C.
• Consistent with reform message

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EXAMPLE MEDIA CAMPAIGNS
Marines TV spot
Obama Campaign Music Video
Thank you troops TV spot
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

• DCPS will need to hire 10-40 more teachers per
  year than it did in 2008 while facing
  significant uncertainty about whether the WTU
  contract will pass.
• Given this uncertainty, DCPS should commence a
  communication effort that will both increase the
  pool of teachers and guard against a collapse of
  the reform effort if the WTU contract is voted
  down.
• DCPS should take a portfolio marketing approach
  to reaching the various sources of new teachers,
  including recently unemployed STEM professionals,
  and refine its selection criteria over time to
  get better quality from this enlarged pool.

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DCPS SHOULD PURSUE FOUR STRATEGIES TO DEVELOP A
ROBUST RECRUITMENT PORTFOLIO
Source
Strategy
New alt cert STEM hires
Identify recent unemployed professionals with
appropriate backgrounds and funnel them to the
Fellows program to increase STEM hires
New ed school grads
Engage in aggressive recruiting (e.g., guaranteed
contracts, on-campus interviews, accelerated
timeline) at local and top 20 ed schools
Veteran teacher referrals
Create a bonus for all DCPS employees who refer a
veteran teacher who is hired as a DCPS teacher
Career switchers, unemployed, past alt cert
applicants
Create incentives (e.g., mentoring, guaranteed
contract, loan guidance) to get a standard license
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COMBINED, STRATEGIES HAVE POTENTIAL TO EXCEED
HIRING NEEDS, ENABLING DCPS TO SELECT HIGHER
QUALITY TEACHERS
Incremental increase in teachers from 2008
baseline due to strategies
Alt Cert STEM
Yr 2 increase
Career switchers, past alt cert applicants
Ed schools
Veteran teachers
Yr 1 increase
Projected incremental need
Assumes 2008 as a baseline, does not include
portion of new vacancies that will be filled by
Fellows and TFA (assuming 40 come through the
alt cert pathway)
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TO CONVERT APPLICANTS INTO HIGH QUALITY TEACHERS,
DCPS MUST IMPROVE SELECTION AND DELIVER ON VALUE
PROPOSITION

• Apply fit characteristics to screening process
• Shift selection focus to previous measureable
  results
• Create Recruitment Fellow role for
  high-performing teachers
• Design placement process to focus on neediest
  schools

• Use PPEP to identify school and individual needs
• Use PPEP to leverage teacher strengths by
  developing other teachers

• Develop differentiated career ladder
• Create incentives for high performers (i.e.,
  externship opportunities)

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ON AVERAGE, PLAN INCREASES COSTS PER TEACHER BY
650, WHICH IS REASONABLE GIVEN INCREASE IN
QUALITY
Recruitment Selection Cost/Teacher
2,400
1,750
Number of new teachers
450
550
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IMPLEMENTATION TIMELINE

• Mid-May
• Chancellor to give interviews with local media
• Press conference with Mayor

• Ongoing
• Processing of greater number of applications
• Greater capture of data on the process
• Recruit and train Recruitment Fellows

• Mid-May
• Replace old marketing materials
• Update website
• Hire additional staff (e.g., Recruitment Fellows
  Coordinator)

• Timing
• ASAP
• Steps
• Engage Ad Council to produce and place ads on
  local media

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• Message
• Methods to Identify Quality
• Portfolio marketing approach
• Recently unemployed STEM professionals
• Refined selection criteria

Improved academic outcomes for the children of
the District
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APPENDIX
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SOURCES OF UNCERTAINTY IN PASSING NEW WTU CONTRACT

• Established local opposition to it
• Leadership issues in WTU
• Voice vote at school opening meeting
• Upcoming advertising campaign for Union-preferred
  contract
• National Union opposition
• D.C. battle is strategic for union given high
  profile

• Poor economy makes paying for new contract even
  more difficult if it passes
• Foundations scaling back grant funding
• District government has spared DCPS budget cuts,
  but will face ongoing revenue challenges
• Reliance on reform in special education to pay
  for contract in the long-term

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SELECTION AND PLACEMENT DETAIL

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TRAINING AND PD DETAIL

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CAREER MANAGEMENT AND PPEP DETAIL

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RECRUITMENT FELLOWS DETAIL
32 fellows earning 35 stipend per hourRun-rate
program budget 130K
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RECOMMENDED PORTFOLIO OF RECRUITMENT STRATEGIES
of additional teachers
Source
Strategy
New alt cert STEM hires

• Increase number of STEM teachers hired through
  alt cert
• Target recent unemployed professionals with math
  or science backgrounds and funnel them to the
  Fellows program
• Shift TFA corps member mix to increase the number
  of secondary math and science teachers

• 30
• 0

New ed school grads

• Conduct more aggressive on-campus recruitment at
  local and nationally prominent ed schools, with
  an accelerated timeline and employment guarantees
• Local schools
• National schools

• 30-50
• 20-40

Veteran teachers

• Create a referral bonus for all DCPS employees
  who refer a veteran teacher who is hired as a
  DCPS teacher
• Local veterans
• Out of state veterans

• 20-40
• 20-40

Career switchers, unemployed, past alt-cert
applicants

• Create a program in which accepted candidates
  receive a bonus, mentoring, and guaranteed
  contract if they enroll in and graduate from a
  graduate school of education
• Target recently unemployed professionals in the
  area
• Target high-prospect candidates not accepted to
  TFA or Fellows

• 90-120
• 60-90

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ASSUMPTIONS AND PROJECTIONS BY PORTFOLIO STRATEGY
(1 of 2)
Sources US Census, Woodrow Wilson School, US
World Report, Bureau of Labor Statistics
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ASSUMPTIONS AND PROJECTIONS BY PORTFOLIO STRATEGY
(2 of 2)
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RECENT GRADUATES FROM LOCAL AND TOP SCHOOLS OF
EDUCATION