Hr/Hc Annual Planner Overview

HR/HC ANNUAL PLANNER OVERVIEW

Purpose / This overview lists sample activities by month to provide a planning guide for HR/HC divisions to keep the department on track for outcomes. Team leads can use this document as a guide for monthly and yearly team meetings.
Intended User(s) / HR/HC Leads
Related Tools /

HR/HC Improvement Plan
Sample Teacher Staffing Calendar & Sample Principal Staffing Calendar

What is an Annual Planner?

Best practices do not happen by accident. Teams often require a simple framework to develop and execute the right practices, and to stay on track.An HR/HC Annual Planner is simply a month-by-month tool to support a team to stay focused on key actions to improve teacher and principal quality. This tool features:

Alignment to ABC metrics and benchmarks
Key activities for each month organized by key function
Recommended owners to maintain accountability

Steps and Considerations

Build in Time for Design and Development
Hold a session (or several sessions) for the leadership team at a retreat or planning meeting to focus on laying out the timeline of key milestones and deadlines across the year.
Build clear alignment to district-wide and HR/HC strategic goals.
Agree upon smart and efficient ways to monitor and manage these key steps throughout the year.
Label best practices and activities by owner or function to be able to quickly sort information.
Establish Ownership
Distribute ownership across and within teams.
Chart those who are accountable, responsible for execution, involved as advisors, and other stakeholders who should be informed.
Build a Culture of Monitoring and Use
Establish amonthly “check-in” (automatic agenda item for staff meetings) to review key activities; focus on establishing transparency and a culture of “no surprises”.
Schedule check-ins or meetings specifically targeted to key milestones to review data and the impact of actions taken.
For recurring actions and milestones, key in on whether the processes and the quality of execution are improving and becoming more efficient and effective.
Ensure that key HR/HC milestones are properly communicated to internal teams; consider external communication to principals, principal supervisors, and employees.

HR/HC Annual Planner Overview

Sample HR/HC Planner(blank Excel template available on website)

Month / Key Activity / Owner A / Owner B / Teacher Positions / Principal Positions / Other
August / September / Continue to hire last-minute vacancies and complete onboarding of all new teachers by first day of school; support opening of schools (HR/HC Partners, On-Boarding Lead) / On-Boarding / HR/HC Partners / X /
Ensure that all new teachers recent hires are scheduled for induction and training; all new teachers have been assigned mentors and coaches; maintain high quality standards for mentoring coaching assignments (On-Boarding Lead) / On-Boarding / HR/HC Partners / X
Recruit for the substitute pool to ensure that it is sufficient; focus on maintaining fill rates for High-Needs schools (Recruitment Lead) / Recruitment / X
Meet with principal supervisors to analyze projected principal demand; review 3-year trend data and eligible internal and external candidate supply; begin activities to build a diverse pipeline of principals (HR/HC Lead) / Leadership / X
October / Work with key offices on strategies for the upcoming year (critical shortage areas, diversity, etc.), and build the recruitment plan and schedule (Recruitment Lead) / Recruitment / X
Review key data from the past hiring season to determine the impact on the system (pipeline, pool, hiring, satisfaction, etc.); identify strategies to communicate and share with principals and principal supervisors (Recruitment Lead, HR/HC Partners) / Recruitment / X / X
Analyze previous year's retention and turnover, and identify issue areas and actions (Recruitment Lead, HR/HC Partners) / Recruitment / X / X
Determine staffing demand for teachers; project vacancies and set high-level hiring and recruitment targets for the upcoming year (Recruitment Lead, HR/HC Partners) / Recruitment / X
Begin fall visits to schools; discuss school’s talent strategy and begin to discuss any plans for remediation and/or exit (HR/HC Partners) / HR/HC Partners / X
Ensure that principals and principal supervisors have access to prior year data on teacher evaluation data; begin providing support to principals on identifying, improving or exiting low-performers (HR/HC Partners) / HR/HC Partners / X
Review previous year's teacher absentee data; focus in on teachers who are close to exhausting leave balance (HR/HC Partners) / HR/HC Partners / X
November / Conduct survey for principal & principal manager feedback on prior year staffing season; survey on customer service, tools & data they need for the upcoming year (HR/HC Lead) / Leadership / X / X
Survey or collect quick feedback from principals who hired new teachers to assess the quality and fit of the new hires (HR/HC Lead) / Leadership / X
Meet with principal supervisors to review eligible internal candidates to determine supply; review internal candidates to assess fit, and assess whether external candidates are needed (HR/HC Lead) / Leadership / X
Review and update teacher screening and selection practices and criteria; determine and plan for needed process and technology improvements (Recruitment) / Recruitment / X
Define the early hiring process for critical shortage areas and High-Needs schools; keep the CFO informed of early hiring process and targets (Recruitment) / Recruitment / HR/HC Partners / X
Build the early contract pool and begin screening for critical shortage areas and High-Needs schools; begin to discuss forecasted needs with pipeline programs (alt cert, residency) (Recruitment Lead) / Recruitment / X
Review observation and evaluation data with Academics to plan for professional development needs and support (Performance Management Lead) / Perf Mgmt / X
Continue fall visits to schools; consider a deeper staff review process to discuss with principals: (1) new hires, (2) evaluation progress, (3) anticipated low-performers and needs, (4) strategies for high-performers, (5) teachers approaching tenure (HR/HC Partners) / HR/HC Partners / X
Refine the overall retention strategy for high-performers - collect data, especially in High-Needs schools and critical shortage areas (Compensation Lead) / Compensation / X / X
Communicate plan for early retirement / notification with incentives and deadlines (Benefits Lead) / Benefits / X / X
December / Publish annual staffing calendar for all district roles (HR/HC Lead) / Leadership / X / X
Begin interviews of outside principal candidates if needed (generic interviews); continue through March (HR/HC Lead) / Leadership / X
Review current status of principal supply and demand with the Executive Cabinet; review on a monthly basis at a minimum (HR/HC Lead) / Leadership / X
Connect w/CAO on academic and program priorities for the upcoming year (HR/HC Team) / Leadership / X / X
Review budget allocations and staffing projections with CFO; build scenarios and plans based on anticipated changes (school closures, boundary changes, program changes, etc.) (HR/HC Partners) / HR/HC Partners / X / X
Review data on substitute pool and fill rates (HR/HC Partners) / HR/HC Partners / X
Begin to engage high priority recruits; invite them to meet with High-Needs principals (Recruitment Lead) / Recruitment / X
January / Continue meetings with principal supervisors to determine upcoming principal vacancies, retirements, performance issues, etc. (HR/HC Lead) / Leadership / X
Develop profiles of schools where potential principal vacancies may exist; revise potential principal interview questions and screening processes, as needed (HR/HC Lead) / Leadership / X
Map out and finalize the process for principal selection and ensure that principal supervisors have a clear vision of the steps in the process and their role (HR/HC Lead) / Leadership / X
Work with principal supervisors to identify potential mid-year terminations using performance data and observations (Performance Management Lead) / Perf Mgmt / Principal Mgrs / X
Begin measuring the candidate pool to track the applicants-per-vacancy and candidate quality, particularly for High-Needs schools and critical shortage areas (Recruitment) / Recruitment / X
Start supporting principals with early offers to candidates; engage early contract recipients and new hires through planned email communications, hosted social or professional events, webinars, or PD; ensure there is a way to track how many early contract hires are retained vs. lost (Recruitment, Onboarding) / Recruitment / Onboarding / X
Conduct follow-up meetings with major pipelines - Schools of Ed and teacher prep programs on graduate effectiveness, supply and demand (Recruitment Lead) / Recruitment / X
Conduct competitive review of comp and benefits structure (Compensation Lead) / Compensation / X / X
Review and improve current processes on surpluses and transfers to ensure mutual consent (HR/HC Partners) / HR/HC Partners / X
Continue to update budget allocations and staffing projections with CFO (HR/HC Partners) / HR/HC Partners / X / X
Establish and communicate deadline for non-tenured teachers to resign without penalty / Leadership / Benefits / X
Review first semester teacher absentee rates (HR/HC Partners) / HR/HC Partners / X
Collect early notifications for resignations and retirements (HR/HC Partners) / HR/HC Partners / Benefits / X / X
February / Finalize the onboarding process to determine who makes the offer, salary determination, and how the new principal will be introduced to the school community and be given access to tech and systems (HR/HC Lead) / Leadership / X
Conduct review of the effectiveness of pre-tenure probationary teachers; consolidate data and provide to principals and principal supervisors to inform tenure decisions (HR/HC Partners, Perf Mgmt Lead) / Leadership / Perf Mgmt / X
Continue to update budget allocations and staffing projections with CFO (HR/HC Partners) / HR/HC Partners / X / X
Begin meetings with principals to begin determining staffing needs; collect information on "Declaration of Intent" for next year; collect data on non-renewals, terminations, tenure, and renewal (HR/HC Partners) / HR/HC Partners / X
March / Provide tools and guidance to principals and principal supervisors on the recruitment of highly effective teachers and principals to take on mentorship roles for the upcoming year (HR/HC Lead) / Leadership / X / X
Support the recruitment of effective teachers and principals to take on career ladder roles, such as school-based teacher leadership and/or central office roles (HR/HC Lead) / Leadership / X / X
Determine process for handling last-minute or unexpected principal vacancies over the summer (e.g., cases where the superintendent or principal supervisors are out of town); majority of interviews and school fit panels should be concluding (HR/HC Lead) / Leadership / X
Require teachers on leaves of absence to declare their intent to return, to terminate employment, or to request an extension (Leaves of Absence lead) / Benefits / X
Close out the non-renewal process for probationary teachers who are being discontinued (Perf Mgmt Lead) / Perf Mgmt / X
Begin Open Voluntary Transfer Season; begin conducting candidate fairs (both internal and external) (HR/HC Partners) / HR/HC Partners / X
Provide tools and guidance to principals to collect and share declaration of intent for the upcoming school year to help project vacancies (HR/HC Partners) / HR/HC Partners / X
April / Continue to monitor vacancies and hiring activities with regular reports (HR/HC Partners) / HR/HC Partners / X
Review data and feedback on student teachers and offer early contracts to high quality candidates in critical shortage fields (Recruitment Lead) / Recruitment / X
Continue holding candidate fairs (Recruitment Lead) / Recruitment / X
Require submission of leave requests from teachers due for long-term personal, academic, professional leave for the upcoming school year (Leave of Absence Lead) / Benefits / X / X
May / Review strength of the pipeline for critical shortage areas (applicant-to-vacancy ratio, quality) (Recruitment Lead) / Recruitment / X
Finish offering early contracts in critical shortage fields (Recruitment Lead) / Recruitment / X
Enforce deadline for non-tenured teachers to resign w/out negative conditions (HR/HC Partners) / HR/HC Partners / X
Review observation data for continuing teachers who were given below-satisfactory ratings; finalize the process for improvement plans targeted for low-performing teachers (Perf Mgmt Lead) / Perf Mgmt / Principal Mgrs / X
Support the closing of the school year and transitions for exiting staff; ensure that processes are reviewed and aligned (HR/HC Lead) / Leadership / HR/HC Partners / X
Finish placing involuntary transfers, if necessary (see above for actions re: mutual consent) (HR/HC Partners) / HR/HC Partners / X
June / Review end of year teacher absenteeism rates and revise strategies for the coming year (HR/HC Partners) / HR/HC Partners / X
Close voluntary teacher transfer season (HR/HC Partners) / HR/HC Partners / X
Continue filling (at least 60% of known teacher vacancies) through early contracts, transfers, job fairs, and recruitment (HR/HC Partners) / Recruitment / HR/HC Partners / X
July / Ensure that schools and principal supervisors have tools and resources to match mentors/coaches to new teachers by the start of school, and to principals by July 1 (their typical start date) (HR/HC Lead) / Leadership / X / X
Enforce deadline for tenured teachers to resign without negative conditions (HR/HC Partners) / Leadership / X
Continuing filling vacancies (at least 95% of known teacher vacancies) prior to the start of school; troubleshoot any remaining vacancies(HR/HCPartners) / Recruitment / HR/HC Partners / X
Conduct a talent planning and review meeting at the school level to reflect on talent changes, gaps and needs; build a school-level strategy around strategic retention, PD, and recruitment and selection (HR/HC Partners) / HR/HC Partners / X / X

HR/HC Annual Planner Overview