Recruitment, Selection, and Hiring - Certified Staff

Under some circumstances the Personnel Administrator may waive certain procedures (e.g., an on-site visit to observe an applicant, because of distance).

A. All Staff

• The Personnel Administrator shall be responsible for advertising, recruiting, furnishing up-to-date applications, and in general providing an excellent candidate pool.
• Original applications for position vacancies will be maintained in Personnel Services.
• Applications will be reviewed for certification and filed for further review as vacancies occur.
• All applications may be reviewed in Personnel Services by Principals or Central Staff Administrators (or their designee). In some cases, applications may be reviewed elsewhere or copies may be furnished.
• Applicants to be interviewed will be designated by the appropriate Principal or Central Staff Administrator from the applications received.
• Personnel Services shall assist in coordinating the interview schedule and reference checking.
• The Principal or Central Staff Administrator shall involve appropriate administrative staff members and, when feasible, other participants in the interviewing and selection process.
• When feasible, the Principal or Central Staff Administrator (or designee) will conduct an on-site visit to observe the applicant and to interview his/her employer(s) and associate(s).
• At the conclusion of the interviewing and candidate selection process, the Principal or Central Staff Administrator shall recommend employment to the Personnel Administrator on a standard form.
• The Personnel Administrator shall conduct an interview with the recommended candidate(s). If, as a result of the interview, the Personnel Administrator does not agree with the recommendation, the Personnel Administrator shall consult with the administrator and attempt to resolve the disagreement. Lacking resolution, the hiring administrator may appeal the Personnel Administrator's decision to the Superintendent. When the Personnel Administrator and hiring administrator agree, the candidate will be recommended to the Superintendent.
• When the finalists for a position exhibit equal qualifications and preparedness, the Personnel Administrator will recommend to the Superintendent the candidate that will best meet and further the District's affirmative action goals.
• The Superintendent shall review the employment recommendation prior to final decision and authorization of employment and salary payment.
• The Superintendent shall submit his/her recommendation(s) to the Board for action.

B. Administrative Staff

The Personnel Administrator is responsible for and accountable to the Superintendent for the implementation of all of the following procedures except where otherwise noted.

Prior to initiating the hiring process, the Superintendent shall recommend to the Board the continuation of the position or changes in structure as he/she deems appropriate.

For each vacancy, the Superintendent shall appoint an Advisory Committee to assist in the screening and selection of candidates.

The Committee shall consist of:

• Three or four administrative and supervisory staff, representatives--one from the elementary schools, one from the middle school, one from the high school, and one from the Central Administration. If the opening is the High School Principalship, the Committee will include a High School Assistant Principal.
• One or two representatives from the parent organization and/or the community.
• Two or three instructional and/or noninstructional staff representatives.
• Although students are not formally a part of the Committee, the Committee will develop plans for the appropriate involvement of students. Such plans are to be approved by the Superintendent.

1. Recruitment

• Accepting suggestions from staff and citizens about potential applicants outside of Princeton to be contacted.
• Advertising in appropriate publications.
• Sending recruitment letters to Placement Agencies.
• Initiating individual searches for candidates through phone calls and correspondence between administrators and school leaders in and out of state, e.g., with foundations, associations.
• Reconsidering candidates identified in the past through ongoing recruitment efforts.

2. Screening Applications

A subcommittee of the Advisory Committee shall screen applications. This paper screening committee will include the Personnel Administrator, at least two administrators, and two teachers. Other Committee members may participate if they wish to do so.

What constitutes a complete application will be predetermined at the beginning of the search process and communicated to applicants and those involved in screening.

The Personnel Administrator shall prepare a written report for the Superintendent to review with the Board; this report will summarize and analyze in some detail the quantitative and qualitative aspects of the application pool.

3. Preliminary Interviewing of Finalists

For these candidates the interviews may be supplemented by informal visits to the Princeton Regional School District and community, including informal contact with Board members. A candidate's resume will be provided to Board members.

4. Other Considerations

• The Superintendent and/or one member of the Committee selected by the Committee may visit with the candidates and others in the candidates' current employment situation.
• The Personnel Administrator may obtain publications by or about the candidate(s) for review by the Committee.
• Reference checking will be coordinated by the Personnel Administrator in consultation with the Superintendent and accomplished through correspondence, telephone calls, and conversations.
• When the semifinalists for a position exhibit equal qualifications and preparedness, the Personnel Administrator will advise the Superintendent which candidate(s) will best meet and further the district's affirmative action goals.

5. Final Interview

The Personnel Administrator will prepare a written report for the Superintendent to review with the Board; this report will include a resume, the application, and other pertinent material related to the candidates. This report will be submitted to the Board as background information prior to the Board interviews. The Board with the Superintendent will then interview the candidates and make its decision in a private meeting.

If the Board chooses not to act affirmatively on the recommendations of the Superintendent, the Board will indicate its reasons to the Superintendent.

The Superintendent may then reinstate the hiring procedures above or may recommend, after consultation with the Committee, a candidate previously interviewed. The Board may only approve a candidate recommended by the Superintendent.

6. Appointment

7. Follow-Up

• Appropriate communications with the staff, by the Superintendent, before the appointment is announced.
• A follow-up communication between each interviewed candidate (if desired by him/her) and the Superintendent or his/her designee.
  1. Meetings with candidates from within the system.
  2. Correspondence with candidates from outside the system.
• The Personnel Administrator will ensure evaluation of the hiring procedures and suggest modifications where deemed appropriate.