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.
Special Report
STEM Teachers: How to Find the Good Ones and Keep Them
See how schools are making progress, and where they are falling short, in addressing chronic teacher shortages in STEM fields.
Special Report
Strategies for Building a Diverse Staff
Delve into the link between diverse staff and students’ academic performance and explore strategies to recruit and retain diverse staff.
Staffing Our Schools
Special Report
Tackling the School Staffing Crisis
Modifying schedules, expanding the use of contractors and emergency certified teachers, and other tactics schools are trying.
Recruitment & Retention Principals Can Make or Break Schools. How Districts Find the Right FitGauging job candidates' readiness for the challenges of running a school is not easy.
Recruitment & Retention What the Research Says Do 4-Day School Weeks Attract and Retain Better Teachers? What the Largest Study Yet SaysShortened schedules may do less than district leaders hope to improve turnover and teacher quality.
Recruitment & Retention Opinion What Trump's $100,000 Visa Fee Could Mean for SchoolsAn expert on teacher migration explains the possible consequences for international teachers.
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 Recruiters Are Going Grassroots to Fill Vacancies. They Say It's WorkingHighway billboards, direct pleas to parents, and grocery store flyers are among the ways schools are reaching out to potential hires.
Recruitment & Retention Is This the Beginning of the Principal Exodus?New data provide evidence that district leaders and policymakers don't want to ignore, experts say.
Recruitment & Retention From Our Research Center Districts Want More Teachers of Color But Don't Do Enough to Recruit Them, Survey FindsResults from a January survey found that work remains in districts' efforts to recruit more teachers of color. Experts offer advice.
Recruitment & Retention The Pandemic Changed Teacher Recruiting. Here's What It Looks Like NowRecruiters' jobs are more complex, requiring them to use in-person, remote, and hybrid job fairs.
Recruitment & Retention 5 Strategies to Tackle Teacher ShortagesRecruiting and retaining teachers takes creative and strategic thinking.
Recruitment & Retention States Are Making It Easier to Become Substitute TeachersBut some question whether that's a good idea.
Recruitment & Retention From Our Research Center Educators Less Likely to Seek Jobs in States That Limit Classroom Talk, Survey FindsSurveys completed late last year asked job seekers and school district recruiters about how new laws are impacting job applications.
Recruitment & Retention Q&A How to Get Male Students of Color to Pursue TeachingNew York City's summer internship for male teachers of color sparks interest in the profession and the district.
Recruitment & Retention Leader To Learn From Want to Recruit Male Teachers of Color? Look to This New York City LeaderChimere Stephens, who leads recruitment of men of color for the New York City schools, believes in starting with high school students.
Recruitment & Retention What Educators Look For in a Job (Besides Pay and Workloads)A survey gives insight on factors that cause teachers to consider leaving or accept a job offer.
Recruitment & Retention 4 Actions Districts and States Can Take to Increase Staff DiversityA report offers concrete steps for districts, charter organizations, and states to boost the racial diversity of their K-12 workforce.Recruitment & Retention Sponsor Addressing Maldistribution in the Education Labor MarketSponsorThis content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.National school staffing shortages have become increasingly difficult to address. The workforce gaps are continually shifting as the need for special services of diversifying types continues to rise. While school districts across the country are facing these issues, major inequalities exist from district to district, and there is no one-size-fits-all solution.Recruitment & Retention Live Online Discussion A Seat at the Table: Chronic Teacher Shortage: Where Do We Go From Here?Join Peter DeWitt, Michael Fullan, and guests for expert insights into finding solutions for the teacher shortage.Recruitment & Retention Webinar EdRecruiter 2023 Survey Results: Lingering Staffing Issues Impact K-12 Recruiting and RetentionSponsorThis content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.Learn the results of Education Week's latest nationwide survey on job satisfaction, recruitment, and retention, and get insights from expert panelists on how to address these challenges.
Recruitment & Retention What Districts Can Do to Prevent Teachers From Quitting Mid-YearRoutine, actionable feedback and small gestures of appreciation go a long way, superintendents say
