Vision/Mission

The Allegheny Intermediate Unit is leading a consortium of schools, intermediate units (IUs), colleges and universities, and other organizations to create a clearinghouse, PA-Educator.net, for school districts hiring teacher candidates in Pennsylvania. This project embodies the recommendations of the Working Together Consortium report of November 1997 to promote hiring practices that will enable schools and IUs to select the best teacher candidates.

PA-Educator.net's vision encompasses two main objectives: it facilitates the application process for prospective teachers and improves school district procedures associated with applicant recruiting and screening. Hiring school districts, candidates looking for positions, colleges and universities with teacher training programs, and K-12 students will all benefit.

PA-Educator.net uses the Internet to support sharing of applicant credentials across school districts. College Education majors and practicing teachers looking for new teaching positions throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania apply by filling out an electronic version of the Standard Application for Teaching Positions in Pennsylvania Public Schools. Participating school districts search the PA-Educator Internet site for applicants who meet their criteria. PA-Educator.net works with colleges and universities, along with the districts, to actively scout, screen, recruit, and rigorously evaluate teacher candidates for potential or actual openings in the districts.

Education Students and Current Teachers Seeking New Positions...

• Become potentially eligible to fill positions with one application which is available to all of the participating school districts.
• Gain information on the Internet about openings and school districts, thus making it much easier for candidates to obtain comprehensive information about positions.
• Benefit from active recruiting and enhanced training through partnerships between PA-Educator.net and their colleges and universities.
• Promising applicants will be quickly recognized since students will be screened more effectively.

School Districts...

• Tap into PA-Educator.net and have a much more manageable number of candidates from which to choose.
• Choose initially from a pool of applicants representing the most promising candidates.
• Receive applications from a wider area than normal since PA-Educator.net will more actively recruit candidates and publicize participating school district employment opportunities.
• Do not have to expend precious resources in their hiring process.
• Significantly reduce their costs of recruiting and screening candidates.

• Receive assistance and training on using PA-Educator.net to enable them to more efficiently and effectively screen and evaluate candidates.
• Gain equity in hiring the best candidates, since disadvantaged school districts that usually do not attract the quantity or quality of candidates normally applying to districts with greater resources will be able to select from all of the same candidates through PA-Educator.net as the more advantaged districts.
• Significantly increase their opportunities to hire the best candidates.

Colleges and Universities...

• Receive better opportunities to promote their best students through active recruitment.
• Gain timely assistance in their educational and training programs.
• Receive valuable assessments of students seeking positions.

K-12 Students..

• Benefit by having the best new teachers.