A r c h i v e d  I n f o r m a t i o n

FOR EMBARGOED RELEASE
10:06 a.m. EDT, August 26, 2000

Contact:
David Thomas
(202) 401-1579 (ED)

Debbie McLean
(617) 489-6000 (RNT)

CLINTON ANNOUNCES NEW WEB SITE TO LINK TEACHERS TO JOBS

In his weekly radio address, President Clinton today announced a new online teacher recruitment clearinghouse to help schools and districts find the more than 2 million qualified teachers the nation will need over the next decade.

The website, http://www.recruitingteachers.org, is a one-stop source of information about teacher recruitment and offers practical resources for recruiters, teachers seeking jobs, prospective teachers and school districts seeking ways to retain teachers.

"This new website is a unique opportunity for districts to use technology to attract the teachers they so sorely need," said U.S. Secretary of Education Richard W. Riley. "At such a critical time, when so many districts face a shortfall in certified teachers, this free service may have a tremendous impact on the way school districts find quality teachers. Its easy-to-use format will make it all the more valuable."

Riley called for the creation of the national job bank and clearinghouse in his 1999 State of American Education speech.

For prospective teachers, Riley said the clearinghouse is not only a gateway to job openings, it also offers resources and guidance to individuals considering careers in teaching. For school districts, the clearinghouse provides new information about innovative strategies to improve their recruitment and retention efforts.

Developed by Recruiting New Teachers, Inc. (RNT), under a $350,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Education, the new service uses advanced Internet technology to inform qualified teachers of classroom openings in participating school districts. Districts and states can add their job opening information to the clearinghouse by completing a short online questionnaire at www.recruitingteachers.org/survey/. By adding job banks or listings to the clearinghouse, districts and states can direct teachers to their web sites, gaining access to a national teacher pool.

The website links teachers with online job banks and job listings and provides links to more than 150 other educational institutions' websites.

By using the clearinghouse, educators can:

• access online job banks and job listings across the country;
• compare school districts and job offerings on a national basis;
• find out how to prepare to become a teacher;
• learn how to finance teacher preparation;
• understand in which geographic and subject areas teachers are most needed;
• find out about new incentives districts are offering new teachers;
• learn about proven strategies for finding and keeping teachers;
• expand a district's reach to a national audience of prospective teachers;
• explore strategies for recruiting teachers.

RNT is a national nonprofit organization that works to attract individuals to teaching careers and helps districts find and keep teachers.

The start-up grant came from the department's Office of Educational Research and Improvement, Fund for the Improvement of Education.