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Susquehanna Township recognizes staff, expands onboarding and launches internal pathway to teaching to address shortages
Summary
District human resources reported staff awards, tenure recognitions, an Innovation Award for a elementary science teacher, a new digital onboarding program, targeted recruiting (job fairs and HBCU outreach) and a Pathway to Teaching program to move paraprofessionals into certificated roles.
District human resources gave a broad report on staffing, recruitment and employee recognition, and detailed new efforts to recruit and retain staff.
HR reported the district has 382 employees (not counting long‑term substitutes, day‑to‑day subs, student workers or coaches), with teachers representing about 58% of the workforce. HR presented a demographic and experience snapshot (roughly 81% of employees identify as white; 19% identify as Black, Hispanic/Latino, Asian, Native American or multiracial) and noted that roughly half of faculty have 1–5 years’ experience when counting experience inside and outside the district.
Awards and recognition: the board recognized monthly "Piece of the Puzzle" honorees and an Innovation Award recipient, Chelsea Wagner, for developing hands‑on science programming at Thomas W. Holtzman Junior Elementary. HR also announced retiree recognition plans and an upcoming employee cookout and retiree celebration funded in part by local sponsors.
Recruitment and retention actions: HR described a new digital onboarding and orientation program (replacing largely paper‑based onboarding), a formal half‑day pre‑start orientation for new hires, increased presence at regional job fairs and targeted outreach to historically Black colleges and universities and nearby educator pipelines. HR said the district used sign‑on bonuses for some special‑education positions and paraprofessionals, improved job‑board outreach and social media recruiting, and is expanding building‑level recruiting for 2025‑26.
Pathway to Teaching: HR and union leadership launched an internal "Pathway to Teaching" in partnership with the Capital Area Intermediate Unit to help paraprofessionals and other employees pursue teacher certifications while remaining employed in the district. HR highlighted employees who moved from paraprofessional roles into certificated positions and said 36 staff members currently hold emergency permits as they work toward full certification.
Why it matters: the initiatives aim to address local shortages, reduce turnover, and build internal pipelines to fill classroom roles with candidates who have district experience.
Ending: HR encouraged continued board support for recruitment, retention and competitive compensation and asked the board to help publicize recruiting events and HBCU outreach efforts. No formal board action was taken beyond recognition items.
