Recruitment & Retention Strategies
Teacher Recruitment & Retention Strategies for the 2023/24 Academic Year
The Ministry of Education and Youth acknowledges the staffing challenges reported by some of our school leaders pursuant to the global demand for teachers which has led to untimely resignation of some teachers compounded by the short supply of teachers in some of the subject areas taught at the secondary level. As our school boards pivot to respond to these challenges, the Ministry has approved the following strategies that may be employed, informed by the context of each school:
01
School Board Empowered to take Early Recruitment Decisions
Pre-approval is granted for the replacement of teachers in clear vacancies and those in temporary posts funded by the Ministry and as indicated at the regional level. This includes recruitment of teachers/staff who have retired, resigned and were granted leave in schools that are not overstaffed. The formal request should still be submitted by each school for a formal response by the regional office and subsequent updating of the records.
02
Engagement of Teachers on Approved Vacation Leave
The Ministry of Education has sought and received approval from the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service for teachers on approved vacation leave (four months or eight months) to be employed as their own locum tenen/replacement for the 2023/24 academic year. Schools boards are advised that teachers can be engaged under this facility in their school of tenure (where they are permanently employed) or any other public school. In this instance, the teacher will be paid for the period of leave and will be paid for the period of engagement (four months or eight months or part thereof) guided by their current remuneration. Special approval must be sought before the teacher is engaged. Approximately 2300 teachers may be accessed through this facility.
03
Extension of Service for Teachers Scheduled to Retire in the 2023/24 Academic Year
School boards may request the extension of teachers who are scheduled to proceed on retirement effective September 1, 2023 and beyond and have performed well (based on their last performance appraisal report) to fill areas of specialization in the infant, primary and secondary schools for which there is a short supply of teachers (determined by the response to advertisements or reported lack of suitability of respondents by the school boards). Special approval must be sought with justification before the teacher is retained.
04
Engagement of Part-time Teachers
Approval is granted for school boards to employ teachers using the Part-Time Facility to engage trained individuals who may not be able to commit to a full time work schedule. These persons should be employed for no more than 20 hours of work per week to fill areas of specialization, especially those areas for which we have a short supply of teachers (determined by the response to advertisements or reported lack of suitability of respondents by the school boards). Special approval must be sought with justification before the teacher is engaged.
05
Engagement of Retired Teachers
Teachers who have retired since January 2018 and beyond and have performed well (based on their last performance appraisal report) prior to their retirement, may be recruited to fill temporary positions, especially those areas for which we have a short supply of teachers (determined by the response to advertisements or reported lack of suitability of respondents by the school boards). Special approval must be sought with justification before the teacher is engaged.
06
Engagement of Pre-Trained Graduate Teachers
The Ministry will continue to allow schools to recruit pre-trained graduates, that is, individuals with at least a first degree in areas of expertise that are short in supply or in the specialization/subject area that the teacher will be required to teach. These teachers should be offered the opportunity to undergo pedagogical training on the job by internal or external stakeholders as part of the professional development portfolio at the school level.
07
Engagement of Final Year Student-Teachers in Recognised Teacher Training Programmes – Flexible Scheduling
The Ministry will again allow the engagement of final year student-teachers in accredited institutions/programmes to fill areas of specialization for which we have a short supply of teachers (determined by the response to advertisements or reported lack of suitability of respondents reported by the school boards). These teachers are normally engaged on a temporary basis and paid in the category of a pre-trained teacher. Special approval must be sought with justification at the Regional level and the teacher’s deployment schedule, as best as possible, should not compete with the training institution’s programme of study as this may lead to frequent absence from the job or a delay in the completion of the student-teacher’s programme of study.
08
Redeployment and Training of Underutilized Staff
Schools may utilize the redeployment of staff or increase the number of teaching sessions of a staff member, where the maximum number of sessions was not maximised (minimum 28 sessions for regular teachers and minimum 22 sessions for senior teachers). A session in this case ranges from 35-45 minutes. Some schools may need to do the conversion to determine equivalency, where a session is for one hour instead of 35-45 minutes. Training sessions should be implemented to build the capacity of staff where needed.
09
Merger of small classes
Schools may take the decision to merge smaller classes to reduce teacher demand for a particular subject area where possible.
10
Use of the “Blocked Timetable” Approach
Schools may utilize the “Blocked Timetable” approach where all or a subset of the teachers for a subject area are timetabled at the same time to ensure all students are taught by a trained teacher through regrouping where necessary.
11
Increased Use of Information Communication Technology in the Classroom
Schools may increase the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) – flipped classroom, video-taping of lessons, televised learning etc. that allow for reuse or asynchronous experiences which may be monitored with the assistance of student leaders. Schools have access to the suite of live and recorded lessons which have been created by the Ministry of Education and Youth through the Public Broadcasting Corporation of Jamaica, the eHomeSchoolNetwork for Early Childhood, Primary and Secondary Schools, the MoEY’s eHSN YouTube Channel and the educatejamaica.gov.jm platform. Resources are also available on the Jamaica Learning Passport, the MoEY eResoures App, and through partnerships with online learning partners. The Ministry has 1,238 recorded lessons suitable for instruction from the Early Childhood – Tertiary Level of the education system which also be used to facilitate student-paced/self-paced learning. See breakdown below:
Number of Curriculum Aligned Recorded Lessons by Level of the Education System
Early Childhood
Primary
Secondary
Tertiary
Total
A list of all the available lessons can be retrieved from the MOEY's Video Lessons Catalogue and accessed on the Ministry’s eHSN network, PBCJ and eHSN YouTube channel. Schools are encouraged to review the resources and ensure they are used appropriately based on the National Standards Curriculum. There is also access to a suite of self-directed materials such as the JamLearning Resources. These are accessible via educate.gov.jm or specifically via this link: https://tinyurl.com/457vfbys Kindly note that they are designed in a manner for students to be actively engaged for a distance learning approach or in the absence of a teacher but also with the support of a responsible person. They may be printed for students who are challenged because of connectivity issues or due to the lack of a device.
12
Sharing of Resume Bank/Database Between Schools
School administrators are encouraged to share their resume database with each other to support targeted and efficient recruitment of staff.
13
Partnerships between Schools to benefit from Shared Expertise
Schools may capitalise on the shared expertise of teachers through the Twinning of Schools Programme. Twinned schools or schools within the same Quality Education Circle may operate with the same timetable (or for areas where there is a short supply) and share expertise using the virtual space or recorded lessons. In some instances, a teacher may rotate/rove on a weekly basis to provide in-person lessons across twinned/paired schools. Where this is done, the Ministry will compensate the teacher for the traveling cost. Special approval must be requested for this facility to be funded with appropriate justification.
14
Available teachers under the Ministry of Education and Youth Scholarship Programme for Teachers
Under the Ministry’s special scholarship programme, 88 student teachers are expected to graduate from teacher training institutions across the island and enter the teaching force in September 2023. The cadre of new teachers who are bonded for a period of five (5) years includes 40 mathematics teachers and 16 teachers of physics and chemistry. We recommend that you contact the teachers’ colleges in close proximity to gain access to these individuals. Please see the specializations and no. of graduates below:
Mathematics
Science
Geography
Visual Arts
Industrial Education
Agriculture Education
Language & Literacy
Family & Consumer
Special Education
Total
15
Build Out Our Science Teachers Programme - BOOST
Ten (10) new graduates specialising in mathematics and science will enter the system as pre-trained graduate teachers through the BOOST programme – Building Out Our Science Teachers Programme. This is a reverse scholarship partnership programme between the University of the West Indies Mona and the Ministry of Education and Youth where the services of the best science students can be accessed whilst school leaders ensure pedagogical training is provided for these individuals to improve their effectiveness on the job. These teachers, whilst being compensated for the job of teaching, will also receive their annual tuition cost at the end of each year of service up to three years.
16
Voluntary Relocation of Teachers in Overstaffed Schools
Consequent to the rationalization of the Junior High section of the Primary and Junior High Schools, a number of specialist teachers have been retained and are currently deployed in our primary schools as generalist teachers. These teachers have been permanently employed and some have been appointed as senior teachers. According to the terms and conditions of the Government Teaching Services, outlined in the Education Regulations, 1980, a teacher is not allowed to transfer his or her status from one school to the next. However, if a teacher seeks employment in another public school where his/her expertise is better served, this teacher will be permitted to do so under the Voluntary Relocation Programme. In this case, instead of resigning and giving up his or her permanent status in the government teaching service, as well as their senior teacher appointment and attendant allowances, the teacher will be allowed to take up new employment in another public school while retaining all the benefits of the substantive post. Under this facility, the school board employs the teacher for one year of service (the teacher must be employed in a clear vacancy), after which the school board that recruited the teacher may decide to retain the teacher permanently with all benefits earned intact. If the Board of the recruiting school is not satisfied with the performance of the teacher after the year, that teacher may return to his/her substantive post with all earned benefits intact. Special approval must be requested for this facility.
17
Teachers Available through Jamaica-Cuban Teachers Programme/Cooperation
The Ministry of Education and Youth has recruited Cuban teachers to teach in the Government Teaching Service in accordance with the Cooperation Agreement between the Government of Jamaica and the Government of Cuba. Based on the requests from principals of primary, secondary and tertiary institutions, sixty-eight (68) teachers (new and returning teachers) have been employed to teach Spanish, Chemistry, Mathematics and Physics accordingly:
Spanish
Chemistry
Mathematics
Physics
The participating schools have been advised of this support as per their requests and are being reminded to prepare to receive these teachers for the start of the new school year.
18
Graduates of Teacher Training Institutions - Specialist Teachers who have completed their Programmes of Study
School leaders are asked to note the reported list of 1123 specialist teachers who have just completed their programmes of study and may be available for employment in the Government Teaching Service. Contact should be made with the heads of the teacher training institutions as part of a strategic recruitment thrust for greater efficiency or to create pipelines for hiring. Details are provided below:
2023 Teacher Training Graduates by Specialization
Current Year 4 Students (2022-2023) Early Childhood Education, Primary, Special Education and School Counselling Specialists
Early Childhood
Primary
Special Education
Guidance
Number of Student-Teachers
The participating schools have been advised of this support as per their requests and are being reminded to prepare to receive these teachers for the start of the new school year.
Current Year 4 Students (2022-2023) Secondary Education by Major
Current Year 4 Students (2022-2023) Early Childhood Education, Primary, Special Education and School Counselling Specialists
Subject
Total
Bus. Studies
28
Office System/ Admin
-
Computer Studies/IT
36
English/Literature/Literacy
60
French
-
Family & Consumer Science
16
Industrial Technology
20
Geography
17
History
09
Social Studies
31
Human Ecology
20
Mathematics
126
Physical Education
128
Religious Education
-
Science (integrated)
30
Biology
09
Chemistry
08
Physics
02
Spanish
03
Visual Arts
14
Music
09
19
The Use of the MoEY Job Recruitment Platform
The MoEY is currently implementing its job recruitment platform to improve the recruitment process for teachers and other school staff. This is accessible to all schools and job seekers effective July 1, 2023. A job recruitment platform is an online platform that serves as a centralized hub for job seekers and employers to connect and engage in the hiring process. The Ministry’s job recruitment platform provides a digital space where schools can post job openings and search for potential candidates, while job seekers can create profiles, search for job opportunities, and apply for positions that match their skills and interests.
The primary objective of the Ministry’s job recruitment platform is to streamline the recruitment process by bringing together job seekers and employers in a convenient and efficient manner. It provides a platform for schools to reach a wider pool of potential candidates and for job seekers to access a larger number of job opportunities. This centralized approach simplifies the hiring process for both parties, saving time and resources in the search for the right match. The platform offers a range of features and tools to facilitate job posting and application, provides notifications and alerts to school administrators and job seekers, it allows schools the space to shortlist candidates for interviews, scheduled interviews and communicate interview results. The job recruitment platform is a new tool that will facilitate the hiring process in today's digital age.
20
Partnering with Virtual Schools – Eg. Use of the Teacher Availability Solution Offered by One on One Educational Services.
This innovative solution was designed to address the ongoing teacher shortage crisis, by providing schools with access to expert substitute teachers, using information communication technology. School administrators, having had approval from the Ministry to replace a teacher, but are unable to find a suitable replacement, can upon request, be approved to engage in a contractual arrangement with One on One Educational Services or other virtual schools to access the remote substitute/replacement teacher. Under the Teacher Availability Solution offered by One on One Educational Services provider, the school will benefit from the classroom in a box device, an 86” inch interactive screen, internet connection, UPS for power backup, air mouse, dry erase horizontal movable marker board system, a Teacher’s Aide and a tablet for the teacher’s aide. Additionally, the school will have access to expert teachers for multiple subject areas based on their needs, even in cases where employed teachers are absent from work or are on approved leave at no additional cost to the school. This cost of this support will be fully absorbed by the Ministry of Education and Youth in line with the approved subvention budget for each school guided by the approved staffing establishment of the school.
21
Bottom-up Support at the School Level
School boards and school leaders are encouraged to rethink how they support their teachers by giving consideration to the following strategies:
Elevate your teachers’ voices – give recognition to the agency of the teacher – listen to them, let them share their big ideas, empower them to be leaders and innovators in your school through regular opportunities to collaborate and provide the support needed to bring their inspirations to life.
Provide access to teaching resources. Teachers should not be using their personal resources to procure teaching aids.
Establish systems that reflect teachers’ welfare: social, emotional and academic wellbeing of teachers (growth needs).
Establish active mentorship and induction programmes for teachers
Create a positive, productive and collaborative working environment.
Schedule common planning time and facilitate access to pre-prepared lesson plans and technological solutions to reduce the administrative demands on teachers. Please see the Ministry of Education website for lesson plans and the ICT Policy and Implementation Guidelines.
Facilitate the integration of technology through access, training, mentorship, partnerships and standard setting for quality instructions.
Celebrate teacher effectiveness through recognition such as “Distinguished Teacher” or Teacher of the Year awards, or “excellent teacher” badges, nominating teachers for the Lasco Teacher of the Year Award among other recognition support for teachers.
Increase communication by dedicating time to debrief after a hard day or to reflect on successes and challenges for improved practice.
Survey educators to gather information on wellness, staff perception and morale etc. This can help to identify and address areas for improvement.
Increase awareness and accessibility of support available to teachers like scholarships for teachers’ children, fully funded counselling support for teachers, study leave, team planning, self-paced learning support provided by the Jamaica Teaching Council, tuition refund, day release, etc.
22
Use Ministry Provided Research Grants as Scholarships to Support Growth in Areas of Specialization in Short Supply at the college level.
Teachers’ Colleges that are provided with annual Research Grants may use this facility to provide scholarships to lecturers in hard-to-fill areas or those who may need to upgrade in particular specializations or to be fully compliant with established programme standards and are studying part time/full-time. These lecturers should be bonded for 5 years and the arrangement should build in a requirement which ensures that the research study component of the programme of study is focused on agreed areas for educational advancement.
23
Go Social
Good public relations can help administrators get high-quality teachers into their schools. Social media provide great, cost-free tools to help build a positive rhetoric around your school. Share the outstanding things your students and teachers are accomplishing, your outstanding partnerships and talk about the broad spectrum of benefits/support your staff members enjoy. Getting your school’s name out there on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn among others will build critical awareness and help you stay in control of public perception.