What California's 10 Largest School Districts are Doing to Ensure
that all of their Students have access to "Highly Qualified" Teachers

SAN JUAN UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT

Interview conducted on November 26, 2003
Interviewer: Ken Futernick
Interviewee: Dianna Garcia, Assistant Superintendent, Human Resources

KF: Do you expect to comply with the NCLB's requirement that all teachers in Title I schools be "highly qualified" by 2005-06?
DG: Yes. First of all, we have fewer Title I schools than other larger school districts, especially the large urban districts, which means we have fewer that will be initially affected by NCLB. But we are also able to recruit more experienced teachers which creates stability and reduces teacher turnover. And we have little difficulty attracting fully credentialed teachers to this district. Another reason for the stable staffing environment is that our human resources department works in partnership with the district's curriculum staff. Together we look at the data on qualified teachers and talk about what the district's needs are. We are very confident we will be in compliance.

KF: Why is your district so attractive to teachers and why does it have so little teacher turnover?
DG: Partly because of demographics. This is a very stable suburban community, with fewer outside influences as one would experience in a large urban setting, and lots of community support. Many of the residents are longtime homeowners in this area. We do not see the same social challenges as many urban districts do. Districts like Oakland Unified (where I once worked) are forced to spend much of the time and resources just keeping their schools safe. Many of the children there come to school hungry and without a home to return to. Here, we are better able to focus our resources on our core business—education. We also have a very good relationship with our teachers' association. Together we have been focused on improved teaching and improved student learning. Another important factor is that we (the human resources department and especially our cabinet and curriculum staff) get out of our offices and listen to what people need to do their job. Treating people well goes a long way.

KF: Do you know what percentage of teachers at each school meet the federal definition of "highly qualified"? How about the percentage of teachers at each middle and high school with appropriate subject matter background for the subjects they teach?
DG: Our HR data systems currently cannot tell us everything we need to know, but we are working on it. For example we do not know which teachers are Nationally Board Certified or whether a teacher's college major matches what he or she teaches.

KF: Do the personnel transfer clauses in the district's collective bargaining agreement present any difficulties?
DG: San Juan does not have a very restrictive clause. Seniority does not always prevail when a teacher requests a transfer. The specific needs of the school come first. As openings occur there is a tendency in any district for more experienced teachers to flee to "easier" schools. But here we have tried to attract people who are dedicated to students who are most in need of good teachers. When we had an opportunity to offer signing bonuses for tougher schools we decided not to offer them. We find that teachers are looking for additional resources, more support, release time for professional development, for instance—not more money. Many teachers will follow the money, but that is not the kind of teacher we want. Yes, insufficient money can de-motivate, but usually for our teachers, it's really about making a difference.

KF: Although not a requirement of NCLB, do you know what percentage of teachers at each school are interns and beginning teachers? Does your district have an official position and/or specific goals for limiting the number of beginning teachers and interns at each school?
DG: We do not have an official policy but we try to monitor what goes on in each school as it relates to staffing. Some principals prefer new, inexperienced teachers but we always strive for a balance and not put all the inexperienced or intern teachers in our neediest schools. But again, we're very fortunate with our recruitment efforts. Our data shows that the average "new hire" for our district is a fully credentialed teacher with four years' teaching experience.

KF: Does your district have a strategic plan to ensure that all students will be assigned to qualified teachers?
DG: We have not developed a separate plan based on the requirements of NCLB, but rather, we've continued to focus on all of the strategies I have mentioned already, modifying where we need to be based on timelines within the NCLB.