Teacher assignment policies vary among school districts. Frequently, districts handle basic employment requirements, and principals draw from prescreened teachers. However, schools occasionally may have to recruit many teachers at once when the district experiences a radical change. This case study involves a principal at an urban school in a district whose population is diminishing as students move to suburban, private, and charter schools. The district has reassigned the principal of a successful school to restaff an underperforming school. How should she proceed? The case explores issues that accompany selecting and developing staff to create a successful school culture in an uncertain setting.
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