EDU 720 - Human Resources and Personnel Administration

3 credits

The effectiveness of public schools and their organizational vitality is largely dependent on the people who comprise the staff and the ability of the leader to creatively shape school and district goals through them. To administer effectively, the leader must possess those skills and understandings that best enable him/her to lead and manage adults. Together, professional and paraprofessional, clerical, cafeteria and custodial staff all constitute the school’s human resources team. The course focuses on the need for comprehensive and clearly written policies together with efficient organizational structures to support effective human resource administration. Among the topics included in this course are personnel search, staff selection, teacher induction, mentoring, supervision, evaluation, professional development, policymaking, teacher contracts, teacher “professional status” (tenure), promotion and dismissal. Emphasis is placed on the interpersonal dynamics of the educational enterprise as it relates to human resource management. Additionally, issues of affirmative action and prohibited discriminatory personnel practices will be examined. Students in this course will gain a thorough knowledge of adult learning and learn those strategies that work best to bring about a positive school culture through readings, assignments and 15 prepracticum field experiences in diverse school settings in conversations with educational leaders in the role and level of the Massachusetts license being sought.

Field experience required.