AVERAGE SALARY: $74,978*
The highly competitive hiring process at HTSD
By Isaac Gallogly
November 22, 2017
The highly competitive hiring process at HTSD
By Isaac Gallogly
November 22, 2017
It’s not your run-of-the-mill McDonalds application process. It’s not easy, and if you’re not the perfect fit, you’re out of luck. Whether you know it or not, becoming a teacher at Hampton High School is an extremely difficult task.
“Hiring a new teacher is a two to three million dollar investment, so we can’t afford to hire the wrong person,” explains Dr. Imbarlina. As building principal, the hiring of new teachers is in her job description.
It is not unusual for a single position to have five-hundred applicants who submit their information to a database called Applitrack. Applitrack ranks potential candidates based on a number of factors including education, experience, and certifications. Dr. Imbarlina then evaluates the top of the ranked list to determine how many applicants will advance.
Internal candidates (an employee applying for another job in the building) are not given significant preference in the hiring process; however, they are guaranteed a first round interview, and all applicants who are ranked above them in Applitrack are considered for the job. So if a building sub applies for a permanent position in the school, he or she still has to compete with external candidates to obtain the job.
Through Applitrack, five-hundred applicants are whittled down to a much more manageable number, a number that varies based on the quality of the candidates. The chosen few are invited to participate in a preliminary conversational interview with Dr. Imbarlina and a panel of teachers and other administrators. If all goes well, they move on to a second round of interviews and then a demonstration. The demonstration is oftentimes the most vital part of the application process. Candidates teach a lesson to a mix of students and administrative personnel. According to Imbarlina, “they can talk a good talk, but they have to actually be able to teach and connect with students in order for them to be a good fit here.”
The feedback given by participating students greatly contributes to the final decision made. If this feedback is positive and the demonstration is successful, the candidate moves on to a final interview with the district Superintendent, Dr. Loughead. If he approves, the School Board then votes to hire the potential teacher or continue searching.
The hiring process is undoubtedly arduous at Hampton High School, but to hundreds of applicants, it’s worth it. Dr. Imbarlina attributes the desire to teach in Hampton to three things: culture, prestige, and maybe most importantly money. Hampton High School, like many of the top schools in the area such as Fox Chapel, North Allegheny, and Quaker Valley, has the financial means to attract top applicants. In the high school, teacher salaries are determined by experience, time working here, and qualifications. In addition, pay increases incrementally in relation to these factors. According to open records website openpagov.org, the average salary in Hampton Township School District for classroom teachers was $74,978 during the 2015-16 school year. Thus, Hampton is a prime destination for well-qualified teachers, and they tend to stay.
The eagerness to work at Hampton High School may explain why permanent positions become available rather infrequently. And when they do open up, the search may last an entire year, or longer in some cases. “We wait until the right person is available, regardless of how long it takes,” explains Imbarlina. When it all boils down, the true challenge is to hire teachers that will benefit the good of the students, regardless of how taxing a process that may be.
*Estimate based on data retrieved from openPAgov.org.
“Hiring a new teacher is a two to three million dollar investment, so we can’t afford to hire the wrong person,” explains Dr. Imbarlina. As building principal, the hiring of new teachers is in her job description.
It is not unusual for a single position to have five-hundred applicants who submit their information to a database called Applitrack. Applitrack ranks potential candidates based on a number of factors including education, experience, and certifications. Dr. Imbarlina then evaluates the top of the ranked list to determine how many applicants will advance.
Internal candidates (an employee applying for another job in the building) are not given significant preference in the hiring process; however, they are guaranteed a first round interview, and all applicants who are ranked above them in Applitrack are considered for the job. So if a building sub applies for a permanent position in the school, he or she still has to compete with external candidates to obtain the job.
Through Applitrack, five-hundred applicants are whittled down to a much more manageable number, a number that varies based on the quality of the candidates. The chosen few are invited to participate in a preliminary conversational interview with Dr. Imbarlina and a panel of teachers and other administrators. If all goes well, they move on to a second round of interviews and then a demonstration. The demonstration is oftentimes the most vital part of the application process. Candidates teach a lesson to a mix of students and administrative personnel. According to Imbarlina, “they can talk a good talk, but they have to actually be able to teach and connect with students in order for them to be a good fit here.”
The feedback given by participating students greatly contributes to the final decision made. If this feedback is positive and the demonstration is successful, the candidate moves on to a final interview with the district Superintendent, Dr. Loughead. If he approves, the School Board then votes to hire the potential teacher or continue searching.
The hiring process is undoubtedly arduous at Hampton High School, but to hundreds of applicants, it’s worth it. Dr. Imbarlina attributes the desire to teach in Hampton to three things: culture, prestige, and maybe most importantly money. Hampton High School, like many of the top schools in the area such as Fox Chapel, North Allegheny, and Quaker Valley, has the financial means to attract top applicants. In the high school, teacher salaries are determined by experience, time working here, and qualifications. In addition, pay increases incrementally in relation to these factors. According to open records website openpagov.org, the average salary in Hampton Township School District for classroom teachers was $74,978 during the 2015-16 school year. Thus, Hampton is a prime destination for well-qualified teachers, and they tend to stay.
The eagerness to work at Hampton High School may explain why permanent positions become available rather infrequently. And when they do open up, the search may last an entire year, or longer in some cases. “We wait until the right person is available, regardless of how long it takes,” explains Imbarlina. When it all boils down, the true challenge is to hire teachers that will benefit the good of the students, regardless of how taxing a process that may be.
*Estimate based on data retrieved from openPAgov.org.