Recruitment & Retention
Staff shortages. Grow-your-own programs. Turnover. Learn more about recruiting and retaining teachers and other school and district staff
The State of Teaching
New national data on the teaching profession, vivid reporting from classrooms, and resources to help support this essential profession.
Recruitment & Retention Will Fired Federal Workers Consider Teaching? Some Schools May Soon Find OutThousands of federal employees face unemployment. Some states and districts see an opportunity to recruit skilled workers to the classroom.
Recruitment & Retention What the Research Says Teacher Shortages Are Improving—With Two Big ExceptionsNew job posting data suggests staffing support needs to be targeted at particular areas.
Recruitment & Retention Districts Can't Pay Teachers Promised Incentives After Trump Admin. Cuts FundingGrants meant for teacher and school leader development in high-need schools were abruptly cut by the Trump administration. Districts are looking for other options.
Recruitment & Retention: Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best ways to recruit good teachers?
The ways that teachers find school jobs has changed in recent years. But recruitment hasn’t gone all virtual. According to a 2022 EdWeek Research Center survey of job seekers, only 5 percent said they find out about K-12 jobs through virtual job fairs. Many more job seekers find jobs by looking at district websites (54 percent), word of mouth (47 percent), and education-focused job websites (42 percent).
Some districts are turning to decidedly non-digital recruitment methods, like highway billboards, flyers in grocery stores, and reaching out to parents to ask them to become substitute teachers.
Some districts are turning to decidedly non-digital recruitment methods, like highway billboards, flyers in grocery stores, and reaching out to parents to ask them to become substitute teachers.
What qualities do principals look for when hiring teachers?
Many principals place the most weight on how a teacher will fit in with their school’s culture. That attribute was more valued by principals than whether the teacher’s certification aligned with their school’s needs, according to a 2022 survey by RAND.
The number of years of teaching experience a teacher had ranked relatively low in principal’s desired teacher qualifications, with less than a quarter of principals saying it was in their top three.
The number of years of teaching experience a teacher had ranked relatively low in principal’s desired teacher qualifications, with less than a quarter of principals saying it was in their top three.
How can schools retain teachers?
Here is some advice on retaining teachers from Principal David Arencibia of Colleyville Middle School in Texas:
· Be clear with teachers about job expectations.
· Create a positive school culture.
· Celebrate your staff.
· Listen to your staff.
· Be clear with teachers about job expectations.
· Create a positive school culture.
· Celebrate your staff.
· Listen to your staff.
-
Recruitment & Retention Why Teachers Choose Schools (It’s Not Just About the Paycheck)Multiple surveys make clear that teachers care deeply about school culture when sizing up jobs. Here's what that means.
Recruitment & Retention Opinion Want to Retain Teachers? Try These StrategiesBetter money is a solid first step. But teachers need to be treated as professionals if they are to stay.
Recruitment & Retention Leader To Learn From How This HR Director Pushed for Pay Increases for TeachersTeachers are getting paid more in the Charleston, S.C. district—thanks in part to their champion in administration.
Recruitment & Retention Q&A A Formula for Better Teacher Recruitment and RetentionHelping teachers advocate for themselves is key to success.
Recruitment & Retention Why Boys Don't Want to Become Teachers and What Schools Can Do About ItBoys would benefit from more male role models in the classroom.
Recruitment & Retention CTE Grows in Popularity Among Students, But Teachers Are Tough to FindAs career and technology education becomes more popular among students, schools struggle to fill teaching vacancies.Recruitment & Retention Webinar EdRecruiter 2025 Survey Results: The Outlook for Recruitment and RetentionSee exclusive findings from EdWeek’s nationwide survey of K-12 job seekers and district HR professionals on recruitment, retention, and job satisfaction.
Recruitment & Retention What the Research Says What 4 New Studies Say About How Districts Can Attract—and Retain—TeachersNew insights on teachers' starting salaries, working conditions, and contract work can help leaders better hire and retain teachers.
Recruitment & Retention Opinion There’s a Stunning Oversight in CTE: Careers in EducationTeachers are a core part of our workforce—but you wouldn’t know it to look at CTE programs. School leaders must start growing their own.Recruitment & Retention Webinar Substitute Teacher Staffing Simplified: 5 Strategies for SuccessSponsorThis content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.Struggling to find quality substitute teachers? Join our webinar to learn key strategies to keep your classrooms covered and students learning.
Recruitment & Retention Explainer 4 Things to Know About the Messy Landscape of Grow-Your-Own Teacher PrepFrom residencies and apprenticeships to disparate grow-your-own programs, locally focused teacher preparation is in flux.
Recruitment & Retention Opinion Want to Retain Teachers? Here's What Districts and Schools Can DoSevere teacher shortages persist. Educators suggest what schools and districts can do to fill those posts.
Recruitment & Retention Video Recruiting and Retaining STEM Teachers: A Former White House Adviser's TakeA retired teacher and former White House policy adviser has some ideas for schools leaders looking to recruit and retain in STEM.
Recruitment & Retention Schools Have Fewer Teacher Vacancies This Year. But Hiring Is Still Not EasySchools struggled less to fill teaching positions in the 2024-25 school year, but they still started the year with vacant teaching spots.
Recruitment & Retention Q&A Schools Can't Find Enough Teachers. A New Federal Center Aims to HelpThe U.S. Department of Education's research agency has launched a new center focused on improving teacher staffing and retention.
