Retention

Education news, analysis, and opinion about efforts to keep school and district staff from leaving their jobs

See also: Grade Retention, Recruitment & Retention

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The State of Teaching, 2026
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Image of one teacher at a desk working, and the silhouette of another heading toward an exit door.
Collage by Laura Baker/Education Week + Getty
Recruitment & Retention What the Research Says Where Do Teachers Who Leave Their Job Go? See the Charts
District administrators may have more ability to guide teacher turnover than they think, new data suggest.
Sarah D. Sparks, September 3, 2026
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4 min read
From left, Dawn Fritz of the Colorado Parent Teacher Association, Michelle Murphy of the Colorado Rural School Alliance and members of a state task force on school discipline meet to discuss staffing shortages on March 26, 2024. Colorado has a large number of far-flung school districts, which face special challenges in attracting and retaining teachers.
From left, Dawn Fritz of the Colorado Parent Teacher Association, Michelle Murphy of the Colorado Rural School Alliance and members of a state task force on school discipline meet to discuss staffing shortages on March 26, 2024. Colorado has a large number of far-flung school districts, which face special challenges in attracting and retaining teachers.
Photo by Hyoung Chang/The Denver Post via Getty Images
Recruitment & Retention How to Nurture Teacher Retention in Far-Flung Rural Districts
Working conditions and community involvement can top pay for rural educators.
Sarah D. Sparks, August 21, 2026
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2 min read
Abigail “Abby” Zwerner shares a moment with her mother Julie Zwerner after a verdict was reached in her lawsuit against the assistant principal, Ebony Parker, of Richneck Elementary School during proceedings at Newport News Circuit Court on Nov. 6, 2025 , in Newport News, Va. Zwerner was injured when a 6-year-old male student shot her while she was teaching. Violence against educators has risen since schools reopened after the pandemic.
Richneck Elementary schoolteacher Abigail Zwerner with her mother after a verdict was reached in her lawsuit against the school's assistant principal, Ebony Parker, at Newport News Circuit Court on Nov. 6, 2025 in Newport News, Va. A 6-year-old student brought a loaded gun to school that was later used to shoot Zwerner, despite her raising concerns with school officials.
Kendall Warner/The Virginian-Pilot via TNS
School & District Management Teachers Are Facing More Aggression at Work. How Can Schools Protect Them?
Teachers feel less victimized when they have their principal's support
Olina Banerji, August 20, 2026
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4 min read
Tue., August 11, 2026, 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. ET
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Collage of one image of a teacher working in a planning book, an image of two teachers looking at a document together and sticky notes with the words "training" and "strategies" on them.
Illustration by Emily Wright for Education Week + Getty
School & District Management Opinion This Is What Teachers Want From Their Leaders
School and district administrators should take note of this feedback from educators.
Larry Ferlazzo, July 17, 2026
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1 min read
Thu., July 09, 2026, 2:00 p.m. - 4:15 p.m. ET
Teaching Profession K-12 Essentials Forum Supporting the New K-12 Workforce: What Teachers Need to Stay at School
 Join this free virtual event to discover what teachers say they need to feel supported to stay in classrooms for the long haul.
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July 9, 2026
Tight crop of a white computer keyboard with a cyan blue button labeled "AI"
iStock/Getty
School & District Management Staffing, Mentoring, Strategy: Can AI Solve Big Problems at School?
One of the sessions at the ISTE conference focused using AI for strategic questions facing schools.
Arianna Prothero, June 30, 2026
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5 min read
conceptual illustration of A figure juggling tasks while riding a unicycle
Rudzhan Nagiev/iStock/Getty
Recruitment & Retention Why Teachers Say They Leave the Profession—Or Say They Want to Quit
Here are some of the reasons listed in response to EdWeek questions on social media.
Caitlynn Peetz Stephens & Marina Whiteleather, June 17, 2026
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1 min read
Teachers follow each other in a circle during a workshop helping teachers find a balance in their curriculum while coping with stress and burnout in the classroom, on Aug. 2, 2022, in Concord, N.H. School districts around the country are starting to invest in programs aimed at address the mental health of teachers. Faced with a shortage of educators and widespread discontentment with the job, districts are hiring more therapist, holding trainings on self-care and setting up system to better respond to a teacher encountering anxiety and stress.
Teachers follow each other in a circle during a workshop helping teachers cope with stress and burnout in the classroom, on Aug. 2, 2022, in Concord, N.H. New data show that teachers continue to face high levels of stress, but many plan to stay in the profession long term.
Charles Krupa/AP
Teaching Profession More Teachers Name Classroom Management as a Job Stress Than Low Pay
A national survey highlights ongoing work and home pressures on educators.
Sarah D. Sparks, June 10, 2026
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3 min read
People Crossing the Book Bridge in the Cliff Valley
DigitalVision Vectors/Getty
School & District Management Opinion Our Schools Are Breaking Educators. We Can Fix It
Making the teaching profession more sustainable starts with a new school leadership architecture.
Lindsay Whorton, May 18, 2026
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5 min read
Figures are swept up to a large magnet outside of a school. Teacher retention.
Vanessa Solis/Education Week + Canva
School & District Management Opinion If We Want Teachers to Stay, Principals Must Lead Differently
Here are three ways school leaders can make teaching feel more sustainable.
S. Kambar Khoshaba, May 5, 2026
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4 min read
Attendees and panelists partake in breakout sessions during the State of Teaching event in San Francisco in March 2026.
Attendees and panelists partake in breakout sessions during the State of Teaching event in San Francisco in March 2026.
Andrew Reed/EdSource
Teaching Profession Download 5 Strategies for Supporting K-12 Teachers: Lessons From California
This resource discusses the main takeaways from a March 2026 live event hosted by Education Week and EdSource.
April 23, 2026
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1 min read
Lead images complilation 1720 x 1150 (4)
Laura Baker/Education Week via Canva
Teaching Profession Here's Why Teachers Say They Haven't Quit
Beyond a love of teaching, teachers have practical reasons to stick to their jobs.
Olina Banerji, April 15, 2026
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1 min read
Fifth-grader Willow Miller raises the U.S. and Nevada flags in a daily flag-raising ceremony to start the school day in Good Springs, Nev., on March 30, 2022. Teacher Abbey Crouse assists at right. The school, along with an elementary, middle and high school in neighboring Sandy Valley, are the only schools in the mostly urban Clark County School District to meet just four days a week.
A student raises the U.S. and Nevada flags to start the school day on March 30, 2022, in Goodsprings, Nev., where the elementary school meets four days week. A growing number of schools have turned to four-day weeks over the past two decades, sometimes for budget reasons, other times for teacher recruitment and retention. But the payoff isn't always clear-cut.
Steve Marcus/Las Vegas Sun via AP
School & District Management Explainer The 4-Day School Week: What Research Shows About the Alternative Schedule
More schools have shifted to the four-day week. How common is it? Does it save money and attract teachers?
Caitlynn Peetz Stephens, April 9, 2026
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7 min read