School Personnel

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School Staffing by the Numbers
How many people work in schools, what types of work do they do, and how much do they get paid? Education Week breaks it down for you.
Fourth graders, from left, Makayla Maynard, Elliette Willey, and Arnav Singh place their lunch waste in the correct bins with the help of Kathleen Osborne, lead custodian at Green Valley Elementary School, on March 16, 2022, in Frederick, Md.
Fourth graders, from left, Makayla Maynard, Elliette Willey, and Arnav Singh place their lunch waste in the correct bins with the help of Kathleen Osborne, lead custodian at Green Valley Elementary School, on March 16, 2022, in Frederick, Md. Custodian retention is a challenge in education, learn how one Ohio district leader is tackling it.
Bill Green/The Frederick News-Post via AP
Recruitment & Retention Q&A Custodians Are the 'Glue' of School Buildings. How Districts Can Keep Them
One school leader has been focusing on custodians' retention and growth.
Jennifer Vilcarino, December 2, 2025
7 min read
Illustration of human arm pulling on strings of robot arm with pencil.
iStock
Artificial Intelligence Most School PR Professionals Are Using AI at Work. What Does That Look Like?
Much of the focus has been on how AI can improve instruction, but the technology is also transforming other parts of district operations.
Lauraine Langreo, August 12, 2025
4 min read
Andy Markus, the head custodian at Draper Park Middle School, in Draper, Utah, sits for a portrait during the National Education Association's 2025 Representative Assembly in Portland, Ore., on July 3, 2025. Markus was named the 2025 NEA Education Support Professional (ESP) of the Year.
Andy Markus, the head custodian at Draper Park Middle School, in Draper, Utah, sits for a portrait during the National Education Association's 2025 representative assembly in Portland, Ore., on July 3, 2025. Markus was named the 2025 NEA Education Support Professional of the Year for his mentorship of students.
Kaylee Domzalski/Education Week
School & District Management In Their Own Words This Custodian Got Students to Stop Vandalizing and Take Pride in Their School
Andy Markus, the 2025 Education Support Professional of the Year, helped boost behavior and engagement in his Utah district.
Sarah D. Sparks, July 7, 2025
5 min read
Books sit on shelves in an elementary school library in suburban Atlanta on Aug. 18, 2023.
Books sit on shelves in an elementary school library in suburban Atlanta on Aug. 18, 2023. The Trump administration's efforts to eliminate the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the largest source of federal support for libraries, is throwing a number of library programs—including efforts to grow the ranks of school librarians—into a state of uncertainty.
Hakim Wright Sr./AP
Federal Trump Admin. Funding Cuts Could Hit Efforts to Restore School Libraries
The Institute of Museum and Library Services is one of seven small federal agencies targeted for closure in a recent executive order.
7 min read
Illustration of Covid-19 impacting 3 years of school
Vanessa Solis/Education Week and Getty Images
School & District Management Infographic 9 Charts That Show the Lasting Effects of COVID on Schools
Key data on some of the move consequential changes, five years later.
Maya Riser-Kositsky, March 18, 2025
3 min read
A sign is seen outside of Seminole Hospital District offering measles testing, Feb. 21, 2025, in Seminole, Texas.
A sign is seen outside of Seminole Hospital District offering measles testing, Feb. 21, 2025, in Seminole, Texas. The biggest risk from the outbreak is to unvaccinated people, but a small number of people who were vaccinated decades ago might need updated shots to ensure they’re protected.
Julio Cortez/AP
School & District Management Some School Staff Might Need a Measles Booster. Here Is Who's Affected
Some educators could have received their measles shots during a five-year span when an ineffective version was given.
Caitlynn Peetz Stephens, February 28, 2025
3 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.
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Recruitment & Retention Webinar
Substitute Teacher Staffing Simplified: 5 Strategies for Success
Struggling to find quality substitute teachers? Join our webinar to learn key strategies to keep your classrooms covered and students learning.
Content provided by Kelly Education
Flat vector illustration of a hand grabbing another hand up out of the water.
iStock/Getty
Student Well-Being & Movement This District Is Enlisting a Powerful Ally in Preventing Youth Suicide
School nurses are often left out of school district planning on mental health resources. But they can serve as a front line of support.
Caitlynn Peetz Stephens, October 3, 2024
5 min read
School buses sit in a lot on Feb. 6, 2024, in Virginia Beach, Va.
School buses sit in a lot on Feb. 6, 2024, in Virginia Beach, Va. School districts are again struggling to find enough bus drivers for the 2024-25 school year.
Tom Brenner/AP
School & District Management Schools Don't Have Enough Bus Drivers to Start the School Year—Again
Bus driver shortages have worsened nationwide since 2020. Many districts are still scrambling to find enough people to transport students.
Mark Lieberman, August 15, 2024
6 min read
Illustration of dollar being used to fill gap in bridge.
DigitalVision Vectors
States Some School Workers Now Get Unemployment Over the Summer. Here's How It Works
Districts are scrambling as some states now allow non-instructional school employees to collect summer unemployment checks.
Mark Lieberman, August 13, 2024
9 min read
Image of a student with their head down on their arms, at a desk.
Olga Beliaeva/iStock/Getty
Student Well-Being & Movement Schools Feel Less Equipped to Meet Students' Mental Health Needs Than a Few Years Ago
Less than half of public schools report that they can effectively meet students’ mental health needs.
Arianna Prothero, May 9, 2024
4 min read
Thank you graphic for service workers in schools including bus drivers, custodians, and  lunch workers.
Laura Baker/Education Week via Canva
School & District Management What Schools Can Do to Make Sure Support Staff Feel Appreciated
Support staff ensure schools are functioning. Here are five tips to help them feel as if they're an integral part of the school community.
4 min read
Workflow, Teamwork, Education concept. Team, people, colleagues in company, organization, administrative community. Corporate work, partnership and study.
Paper Trident/iStock
School & District Management Opinion 3 Steps for Culturally Competent Education Outside the Classroom
It’s not just all on teachers; the front office staff has a role to play in making schools more equitable.
Allyson Taylor, April 15, 2024
5 min read
Conceptual image of substitute teacher in classroom, colorized blue.
Drazen Zigic/iStock/Getty
Teaching Profession Substitute Teachers Need Support, Too. See How One State Is Helping
Substitute teachers often feel unsupported and underprepared. Here's how one state is trying to change that.
Evie Blad, February 13, 2024
7 min read