School board puts Amsterdam Noord on the map
Amsterdam Noord is 'hot, hip and happening'. And you will quickly find a partner. That is the message that the Amsterdam school board Innoord is spreading in a full-page advertisement in today's Volkskrant.
Statue: AOb / de Volkskrant
“We are in a unique part of the city and we want to show that in a fun way,” explains board secretary Jelle Mulder of Innoord – a club of sixteen public primary schools in Noord. The advertisement features all kinds of nightlife venues in Amsterdam Noord, where young teachers have every chance of meeting a partner. 'Tolhuistuin – a top terrace – it couldn't be more romantic.'
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At the end of the ad, the reader is referred to a landing page, where there are vacancies for group teachers at various Innoord schools.
That page also screens good additional employment conditions - such as extra paid partner leave. This leave, which can be taken after having a child, has been legally extended this year from two to five days. Innoord will add another five days. 'We also reimburse extra travel expenses for all employees over and above the collective labor agreement. In addition, there is also collective disability insurance, and we think it is quite normal to simply pay our trainee teachers properly. '
Not unique
“Those are excellent additional terms of employment,” says AObdirector Eugenie Stolk. “Many things are not unique. Other schools also sometimes extend the travel allowance, disability insurance is arranged with a third of the boards and other schools - unfortunately not all - also pay lios. But the combination is beautiful.”
If you have to go the extra mile to recruit teachers, it makes sense to offer better working conditions than the competition
Stolk does not think it is surprising that school boards want to distinguish themselves as employers on terms of employment. “One school is in a different location and has a different student population than the other. If you have to make the extra effort to recruit teachers, it makes sense to offer better terms of employment than the competition. ”
In secondary education, schools sometimes already offer a bonus for new teachers. “A bonus is a blunt instrument,” says Stolk, “and it only applies to the person concerned. There is nothing wrong with that good additional employment conditions that apply to all staff. School boards could also profile themselves on, for example, development opportunities for their people, development time and advancement opportunities. ”
Disturbing
Innoord currently has eleven vacancies for group teachers. “We managed to complete the formation reasonably well last school year,” says board secretary Mulder. “But unexpected shortages - for example if teachers fall ill during the year - can no longer be compensated. The worrying thing is that we seem to get used to the fact that there are no more replacements. While that really increases the burden on colleagues. ”
Mulder hopes that the ad will generate sufficient response. "Amsterdam Noord is a really nice district and the schools here need teachers."
