In December of 2018, New Schools for New Orleans launched Teach New Orleans (TNO). TNO is the fastest way for experienced teachers to share their resumes with New Orleans public schools. It is also a direct response to the teacher recruitment and retention crisis in our city—we need more great educators in our children’s schools.
TNO provides three main supports:
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TNO connects experienced teachers to open roles in New Orleans’ public schools.
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TNO hosts a citywide online job board, where candidates can view all open positions in New Orleans public schools in one place.
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TNO manages an online “resume drop,” where new and experienced candidates can share their information and have it distributed to all New Orleans public schools and teacher preparation partners at once.
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TNO’s website also provides information about all of our city’s schools and teacher preparation programs that aspiring teachers can look into.
Since it launched, TNO has shared over 1900 resumes have been shared with schools, and they have facilitated 200 hires across the district. Those educators have an average of six years of experience. Ninety-two percent of New Orleans’ public schools have either used TNO or are part of a charter management organization (CMO) who has.
For Collegiate Academies, one of the largest school networks in New Orleans, TNO has been key. Seventeen percent of their initial phone interviews and nearly twenty percent of candidates who moved to the second half of the hiring process came to them through TNO.
Talent Leaders at Collegiate shared: “Through the resume drop, we have received a consistent stream of experienced teachers, particularly local teachers.”
Teachers have also come to rely on TNO.
One early childhood educator with over a decade of experience used TNO to find her role at Homer Plessy Community Schools. “After speaking with a [TNO] staff member and explaining the kind of role and school I was looking for, I was quickly referred to an organization that matched my values, my belief system, and is already invested in my growth.”
Another experienced teacher used TNO once moving to New Orleans, and soon landed a job at Encore Academy.
“I recently relocated to New Orleans, and even though I have been teaching for years, I was worried and nervous about not being able to get a job,” she said. “The job search process seemed extremely daunting, and I didn’t have any connections. I put my application on Teach New Orleans and they contacted [me quickly]. [They were] informative, encouraging, and genuinely concerned in my best interests. Within a week, I had at least 3 interviews set up. I accepted a position with the school of my top choice and could not be happier.”
Our teachers deserve this–to be happy at their schools and to know that their principals are invested in their growth. This, of course, fuels our students’ growth, too, and strengthens their classroom environment. TNO starts that chain reaction by connecting great, experienced educators to great schools.
And even through the stress and uncertainty of the COVID-19 crisis, resumes are coming in and connections are being made. Our teachers are ready to lead their classrooms, even in these difficult times, and TNO is here to help them do it.