Recruitment & Retention

Staff shortages. Grow-your-own programs. Turnover. Learn more about recruiting and retaining teachers and other school and district staff

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  • Westwood High School teacher Shaun Reedy instructs students on Oct. 18, 2022 in Mesa, Ariz. For several years, the Mesa district allowed Westwood to pilot a program to make it easier for the district to fill staffing gaps, grant educators greater agency over their work and make teaching a more attractive career. The model, known as team teaching, allows teachers to combine classes and grades rotating between big group instruction, one-on-one interventions, small study groups or whatever the team agrees is a priority each day.
    Westwood High School teacher Shaun Reedy instructs students on Oct. 18, 2022 in Mesa, Ariz. For several years, the Mesa district has allowed Westwood to use a team-teaching model allowing teachers to rotate between big-group instruction, small study groups, and one-on-one tutoring. Teachers across content areas set the agenda for their cohort of students. Now, research suggests these collaborative models can aid teacher retention.
    Matt York/AP
    Recruitment & Retention Team Teaching Reduces Turnover Compared to Going Solo, New Research Finds
    Teachers who work together to set the educational tone and practice for their students are twice as likely to stay at their schools.
    Sarah D. Sparks, June 23, 2025
    4 min read
    This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
    Sponsor
    Recruitment & Retention Whitepaper
    Preventing Turnover, Increasing Retention: How PBL Professional Learning Can Help
    If you’re seeking ways to retain great teachers and build a stronger school culture, this is a must-read for your leadership team.
    Content provided by PBLWorks
    Georgia Southern University College of Education Associate Dean Dr. Yasar Bodur takes photos as Aaliyah Smith signs a Certificate of Commitment on stage during the first ever Teach in the Peach Statewide Educator Signing Day at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta on May 6, 2025.
    Future teachers gather at tables to hear speakers during the "Teach in the Peach" statewide educator signing day at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta on May 6. It's one of several measures the state has rolled out to recognize its teachers—and attract new ones.
    David Walter Banks for Education Week
    Recruitment & Retention One State’s Educator-Recruitment Campaign Has a Secret Weapon: Its Own Teachers
    Georgia wants to change the public's view of teaching.
    Sarah D. Sparks, May 10, 2025
    7 min read
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.
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.
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.