The Pre-K 4 SA board members are regularly seen gathering together around City Hall to work out hiring procedures, student enrollment and how the education centers will be managed.
On Tuesday the board voted to keep the language in its job description for the professional development director as "preferred" master’s degree. Board member Bob Bevard suggested the word "preferred" diminishes the applicant pool.
Chair Elaine Mendoza said the board can assess what kind of candidates apply before deciding to amend the description to "required."
Recruiting teachers and other staff
Members also received an update on the job fairs in San Antonio, which it will use to recruit staffers for the program
Rebecca Flores, who works on education for the city manager, said she is also going to fish out candidates from three more job fairs in Austin, Houston and Dallas.
"We decided to take our show on the road," she told the board Tuesday.
Flores said 146 applicants have already applied for master teachers. They include out-of-state candidates and even Puerto Rico. Flores thinks of this as nothing less than a miracle.
"I think this is a testament to kind of us having candidates from cities around Texas and from other states wanting to move to San Antonio to do what, in my opinion, is God's work to really transform the lives of our children," she said.
Hiring directors/CEO
While hiring for other staff members like bus drivers, cafeteria workers and assistants, City Manager Sheryl Sculley is also thinking about the directors for each of the two model education centers.
A chief executive officer may not be in place before the directors are hired so the board approved a panel to help select the positions.
Getting students enrolled
Mendoza said a communication committee will help deliver the message to families about student enrollment when it comes time for that in May.
With the pressure on, Mendoza said she and the board realize they have to answer to voters, both those who voted for and against the measure.
"We feel it, absolutely," Mendoza said, "and I think that's why you see the majority of the board, strong majority of the board, is here every two weeks. And we've had personnel and committee meetings in between that. So yeah, we feel a heavy burden but we're focused on delivering."
