Oklahoma Schools Getting Creative To Recruit New Teachers

With the statewide teacher shortage now at a crisis level, schools are getting creative when it comes to recruiting and attracting teachers to their school. Edmond schools had a reception Tuesday night for soon to be graduating teachers where they fed them, had door prizes and introduced them to principals.  Mid-Del schools held a recruiting event Wednesday.

The tables have certainly turned, instead of schools interviewing prospective teachers, prospective teachers are now interviewing schools.

News 9 got a VIP tour Wednesday at Mid-Del Country Estates Elementary with about half a dozen soon to be-teachers. Erica Turbyfill is one of them. She graduates in May. She’s a hot commodity. Especially because she plans to stay in Oklahoma unlike many of her peers.

“I have a few friends that have had job offers from Texas already,” she said.

So, at Mid-Del they're pulling out all the stops to convince her, and the others to come work for them.

“I didn’t get into school to get into marketing but that’s where we are right now,” said Dr. Rick Cobb, the Mid-Del Superintendent who spoke to the students and then accompanied them on the tour. “We’re trying to show them why teaching in Mid-Del is the best option.”

At Tuesday night’s reception, nearly 90 students met with principals from Edmond Schools with the same goal.

“We started two or three years ago to attract people to Edmond and knowing that candidate pool right now has a lot of choices,” said HR Director Randy Decker.

At Edmond, they even offer current teachers a stipend if they let the district know in December if they won't be returning the next school year. 

“Now we have the opportunity to go out and find a replacement at a really good time when maybe other school districts aren’t looking,” said Decker.

Last year, Decker said they were able to recruit 20 to 25 percent of the students who attended the reception.