This week’s Casual Fridays post is featuring The School District of Philadelphia. Serving over 200 schools (elementary, middle and high) throughout the city of Philadelphia, the district’s mission is to provide every student with the opportunity to achieve positive life outcomes in partnership with diverse families, educators, and community members who are valued and respected. Their vision is simple: to prepare students to imagine and realize any future they desire!

Kelly Dougherty: Today we are joined by Malcolm Davis, Executive Director of Recruitment with The School District of Philadelphia. Thank you for joining us! What is the one thing you really want our students to know about the School District of Philadelphia?

Malcolm Davis: Of course! I think the one thing I would want them to know and remember is that the School District of Philadelphia is an incredible place to work and lead. My team is excited to see a higher number of Swarthmore students and alumni join our schools and find their school home.

KD: What would you say is your favorite part about working for the district?

MD: That I get to represent the school district in the city that I was born and (mostly) raised in. It’s a great honor to be at the forefront of bringing in more equity focused, mission aligned, and diverse educators to serve in the best city in the world.

KD: That’s really awesome! Can you tell us a little bit about the positions you are recruiting for?

MD: Currently we have openings in the following positions – 

1. Elementary School Teacher- https://bit.ly/3BL2Zba

2. K-12 Special Education Teacher- https://bit.ly/3YpJ624

3. Secondary STEM Teacher- https://bit.ly/3BL2Zba

4. Visual/Performing Arts Teacher- https://bit.ly/3Y9cs3L

5. World Language Teacher- https://bit.ly/4h2DGl9

6. Demonstration Teacher- https://bit.ly/3Nofjkn

7. Special Education Assistant- https://bit.ly/4h8HC3F

KD: What does your recruiting timeline look like and what years are you targeting?

MD: We recruit all year round! Our opportunities are usually geared towards seniors and recent alumni, but we have School Based roles that are usually part-time that can work with an undergraduate or graduate student’s schedule. 

KD: How would you say Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion is best represented within your organization?

MD: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion are an integral part of our systems and structures, and go far beyond just our hiring and recruitment practices. We have a team of Equity experts that provide on-going training to our Central Office staff, as well as our teachers and school leaders. We also convene leadership Affinity Groups as well as LGBT+ groups focused on the intersections of our teachers and leaders. As a recruitment team, we are actively working to diversify our educator workforce so that our employees better reflect the ethnic background of our students.

KD: And for students who are in the middle of their job search process, and are considering opportunities within education, what advice would you offer?

MD: It’s important that you identify the type of school/district you want to work for, and the student demographics you’d like to serve. Many times students are told that the best opportunity is the first one presented to them, but in many instances it’s best to take time to really understand your short and long term goals as a teacher. Once you have an idea of what type of culture you want to teach in, and the students you’d like to serve, it makes it a lot easier to identify the ideal place to work. 

KD: That’s great advice! For more information who can students reach out to?

MD: That can reach out to me directly, Malcolm Davis- MLDAVIS@philasd.org