Recruiting “Talent”: School Choice and Teacher Hiring in New Orleans

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine school leaders’ preferences and practices in an environment of widespread decentralization, privatization, and school choice. In New Orleans, such reforms have been enacted citywide since Hurricane Katrina, making it an ideal site to examine what happens when policy makers lift restrictions for school leaders—and remove protections for teachers—related to teacher hiring on a large scale. Research Methods/Approach: In this exploratory study, I analyze qualitative data to examine school leaders’ preferences and practices when recruiting teachers in New Orleans. The data for the study come from 94 interviews with principals, district leaders, and charter network leaders. Findings: School leaders had different conceptions of “talent” and “fit,” and used a variety of strategies to recruit teachers. School districts and charter networks both supported and constrained school leaders’ autonomy and recruitment practices by screening applicants or setting guidelines and criteria. Other intermediary organizations also played a role in shaping the teacher labor market. School choice also posed unique challenges for teacher recruitment. Implications: Overall, expansive choice policies in New Orleans appear to foster flexibility and variation in teacher hiring strategies (although not in salary), as expected in a decentralized system. However, these policies and strategies appear also to have other consequences, including greater instability or “churn,” unpredictability, and a bifurcated teaching force.