We have just wrapped up another exciting and record-breaking admission season. I am very excited about the new students we have been able to bring to CA and look forward to getting to know them better next year. The whole process has been a team effort, involving our admission office, teachers on the committee, arts and athletics liaisons, and many more. 

Next, comes one of the other normal aspects of school life in February/March: looking for great new teachers. While generally the Upper School has very low faculty turnover, I do usually have some hiring to do. In my time here I can point to different years (including last year) when I had only one teacher to find and another year when we hired seven new teachers and staff members. This year, we are right on the average with four. 

 

Although the final decisions about whom to hire rest with Dr. Mike Davis as Head of School, we do involve a significant number of people in the process. We have the candidates meet all department members, grade-level deans, school counselors Liza Skipwith and Kate O'Donnell, Director of Inclusivity Sarah Wright, Dr. Davis, and me. Candidates are also asked to do a sample teaching demonstration with at least two current faculty observing. Of course this whole process needs to occur virtually this year, and we all get to know our candidates over Zoom. That offers a particular challenge for out-of-town candidates, especially if they don’t know the Denver area. Both sides may be taking more of a leap of faith than in previous years. 

 

Once the process begins, what do we look for in a Colorado Academy teacher?

 

In my years as an administrator, I have evolved in the way I look at applications. Where I once scoured for content-area mastery demonstrated through teaching experience and undergraduate and graduate-level education in a particular discipline, I now look more broadly at resumes, in search of those other features that help round out a potential faculty member. Due to the strength of our applicant pool, the subject mastery is almost a given now. If a person is going to teach chemistry, we obviously need to see that he or she has education and teaching experience in that subject. What rounds out the resume often are those other details that show a dynamic individual whose interests go beyond the classroom. For instance, do they have some coaching or arts experience, indicating that they would appreciate and understand our mission and the multiple expectations we have of our students?  Given our long history as an industry leader in experiential education, an applicant who has led students on outdoor or global trips, or has direct experience abroad, is also a huge plus. 

 

After this year, I admit to looking for a track record of flexibility and resiliency. I have always personally valued those qualities but have never fully appreciated their value until this year, when we have to shift gears so many times and pivot like never before. Teachers who can "roll with it" become even more valuable in times of crisis, but in general they tend to make better colleagues, more flexible teachers who can accommodate different learners effectively, and people who tend to have a "what do you need me to do?" mentality.  

 

Every job we post draws a great deal of attention. This year we are especially interested in candidates who reflect our equity and inclusion goals. As a school we know we need to have a faculty that better reflects the diversity of our students. We also know there are many qualified candidates who have a proven track record of diversity, equity, and inclusion. So I look forward to meeting a lot of interesting people, albeit mostly over Zoom, and bringing in some new faces and voices to our already outstanding mix of teachers and staff members.