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Recruitment Strategies

This page includes a searchable database of strategies, programs, and reports related to the recruitment of teachers, something we also think about as activating the desire within many students to serve their communities in a meaningful way, with a special emphasis on recruiting for diversity. Specific characteristics of future teachers are listed when the resource specifically targets those populations. Resources can be searched by keyword and filtered by population and/or type of resource.

We welcome new strategy suggestions; you may submit them using the Recruitment and Strategies Suggestion form. Generally, these resources are available at no cost or through a subscription carried by CSU campus libraries.

View a list of barriers to teaching that have been used to address some of the real and perceived obstacles that teaching candidates face.

We welcome new ideas for activating and recruiting future teachers; use the Recruitment Strategies form to submit additional suggestions to the list.

Provide trainings to faculty and staff across campus to teach them about the profession and how they can support future teachers in their classroom.​

Submitted by: Aimee Nelson Populations: Community College, Undergraduate Strategies: Promotion by non-ed faculty

Host a career fair where you invite a variety of education-based organizations to hire students into the field of education. Include multiple school districts to promote vacant teaching positions, paraprofessional positions, and volunteer opportunities.

Submitted by: Eurania Lopez Populations: Credential Student, Paraprofessionals, Undergraduate Strategies: Recruitment fairs, Special events

CSU East Bay is creating an EduCorps community on our campus. Faculty from Education, Science and Mathematics are working together to nominate "Pre-Ed" majors and build momentum in preparing future math and science teachers.

Submitted by: CSU East Bay Populations: Math, Science, Undergraduate Strategies: Promotion by non-ed faculty, SCTA and other clubs, Special events

Email messages are an excellent way to communicate with prospective teachers. They can inform your teaching candidates so they feel part of a community of future teachers.

Mail management programs like "MailChimp" allow you to easily send (and re-send) attractive, branded email messages to targeted audiences.

Submitted by: Ken Futernick Populations: Bilingual Education, Math, Other graduate, Paraprofessionals, Science, Special Education, Students of color, Undergraduate Strategies: Social media

This recruitment brief from EduCorps director, Ken Futernick, cites research showing that undergraduates who decide to explore teaching as a career path often do so because of encouragement they’ve received from their professors.

Submitted by: Ken Futernick Populations: Bilingual Education, Math, Other graduate, Science, Special Education, Students of color, Undergraduate Strategies: Research Report

​San Diego State University offers group advising sessions for people interested in teacher credential programs in untraditional formats.

Submitted by: Edgar Beas Populations: Community College, Other graduate, Paraprofessionals, Undergraduate Strategies: Advising and mentoring, Special events

Informed by the realization that (a) many of our own STEM undergraduate students enroll in our teacher credential programs, and (b) students are likely to choose a career path if their own undergraduate major professors advise them towards this career option, we formed a group called Faculty Champions for Teacher Recruit

Submitted by: Cal Poly SLO Populations: Math, Science, Undergraduate Strategies: Promotion by non-ed faculty

Assign faculty mentors to students interested in pursuing careers in teaching. Mentors can help mentees with the application process, find financial aid options, and meet with them throughout their time in the credential program.

Submitted by: CSU East Bay Populations: Credential Student, Undergraduate Strategies: Advising and mentoring, Financial assistance, Promotion by non-ed faculty