Today’s post continues a series on what schools and districts can do to better retain teachers.
‘Teachers Are Tired’
Carissa McCray, Ph.D., has many years of experience teaching from 6th grade through higher education. She is the author of Equitable Instruction, Empowered Students:
Teachers are tired, overworked, and underpaid. They are leaving. In the United States, 74 percent of schools said they had difficulty filling one or more vacant teaching positions with a certified teacher before the start of the school year. Thirty-three percent of teachers are very satisfied with their job, while 52% would not recommend teaching as a profession. Teachers are tired and underpaid.
I have a three-prong approach that addresses how schools and districts can retain teachers.
Compensation
We know that teachers desire an increased salary. We are shaping the minds of the country. We are ensuring we remain competitive in global markets. Teachers deserve more money.
There should also be pathways for career and monetary advancement. Often, there are teacher-leader programs, which do recognize the contributions and achievements of the teacher. However, teacher-leaders are rarely paid for their work while still teaching the same number of classes with increased responsibility.
Professional Development and Support
Schools and districts should provide continuous professional development opportunities to teachers to ensure we improve our skills and stay abreast of education practices. However, schools and districts must be mindful of their implementation of professional development.
There should be time included for learning, implementing, and then evaluating the information received from the professional development. The professional development should be applicable and specialized to teachers’ needs. The professional development should not be a “sit and get” model but rather a workshop that allows teachers to practice those changes then and there.
Collaborative environments must also be encouraged. Mentorship programs and professional learning communities that are intentional are needed to ensure teachers can share resources, strategies, experiences, and provide support as we all navigate the challenges of our profession.
Collaborative environments should allow teachers to engage in the work to make them better teachers. The time allotted for professional learning environments should strictly be used for that time. The school culture should encourage collaboration with time made available for teachers to engage with one another with vertical and horizontal alignment.
The teaching profession can be a lonely one—in our own classrooms all day with 30 minutes for lunch and maybe an hour for planning. Time is a valuable resource that will allow teaching to flourish and teachers to feel more supported.
Workload Management
Reduce class sizes. Our country is in an educational crisis. The Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies assesses literacy and numeracy for adults in over 25 countries with levels ranging between Below Level 1 and Level 5. According to the PIAAC Data Explorer, the average point value for adults in the United States was 261, a Level 2 in 2017. This means that we can make “low-level” inferences. We are in a literacy crisis. Since 2013, our reading scores have declined for 4th grade, 8th grade, and 12th grade students. The trend is the same for mathematics, with a decline between 2009 and 2022.
Knowing this, our class sizes are still increasing. School board meetings are suggesting 25-30 students per class due to the teacher shortage. This does not mitigate any issue that we are having in education. Too-large class sizes mean less individualized instruction, an increased workload, ineffective instructional and behavioral management, and more nonteaching responsibilities. Reduce class sizes for effective education practices and workload management, which can eventually lead to improving teacher-retention rates.
By addressing these critical areas in education, schools and districts can create a more supportive and sustainable environment for teachers. Teachers will have improved capacity to not only complete items on their instructional checklist but teach with meaning, passion, and longevity.
‘Flexible Scheduling’
Craig Aarons-Martin is CEO of CCM Education Group:
In my decadelong journey as a P-8 school leader in Boston, I’ve witnessed firsthand the critical importance of retaining dedicated teachers. The current times demand that we, as school leaders, not only be creative but also leverage our emotional intelligence to grasp the pulse of our communities.
We need to understand how our schools are perceived on social media, how the community represents itself, and what community members say about our schools and districts. This awareness is crucial for attracting and retaining top teaching talent.
Clear Compensation Models and Career Pathways
One of the primary considerations for prospective teachers is the presence of a clear and competitive compensation model. In my experience, conducting regular compensation studies to compare our pay scales with those of neighboring districts and similar institutions has been essential. This ensures that salaries remain competitive and reflective of the cost-of-living adjustments in our area.
Additionally, we offer pathways for leadership, providing clear steps for teachers to progress from support roles to lead teacher positions. This has been a significant factor in retaining motivated and ambitious educators.
Flexible Scheduling and Professional Development
Flexible scheduling can be a significant draw for teachers. We have explored ways to offer flexibility in work hours and conditions, which helps accommodate teachers’ personal needs and improves job satisfaction.
Another key factor is providing professional development opportunities that allow educators to choose their own learning paths. Offering “choose your own adventure” professional development days enables teachers to pursue topics that interest them and enhance their teaching skills. This personalized approach to professional growth has significantly boosted teachers’ engagement and commitment to our school.
Recognition and Empowerment
Recognition plays a vital role in teacher retention. Establishing award programs and spotlight initiatives to celebrate teachers’ achievements has been highly effective in my experience.
Empowering teachers to lead professional development sessions and working groups not only acknowledges their expertise but also fosters a sense of ownership and pride in their roles. Providing compensation for these additional responsibilities, whether through financial incentives or resources for their classrooms, further demonstrates our investment in their professional growth.
Observation and Feedback
Effective observation and feedback are crucial for teachers’ development. As a school leader, I prioritize regular, meaningful feedback that helps teachers improve their practice. This requires being well-versed in instructional strategies and genuinely invested in their success. By conducting both formal and informal conversations about teachers’ goals and aspirations, I’ve been able to build stronger relationships and support their professional journeys.
Inclusive Policies and Belonging
Creating a sense of belonging is essential for retaining teachers, especially those from BIPOC, LGBTQ+, or immigrant communities. Implementing policies that protect and empower these teachers ensures they feel valued and included. Actively fostering environments where diversity is celebrated and all teachers feel supported and respected has been a cornerstone of our retention strategy.
Community Engagement and Social Media Presence
As school leaders, we must be attuned to how our schools are portrayed on social media and in community discussions. Prospective teachers often research these aspects before joining a new school. A positive and active social media presence can enhance our school’s reputation and attract high-quality candidates. Engaging with the community, listening to their concerns, and showcasing our school’s achievements builds a strong, supportive network that benefits both teachers and students.
Compensation for Additional Responsibilities
Offering additional compensation for taking on extra responsibilities is another effective strategy. This could include stipends for leading professional development sessions, managing clubs, or mentoring new teachers. Financial incentives not only reward teachers for their hard work but also motivate them to continue contributing positively to the school community.
Conclusion
Retaining teachers in today’s educational environment requires a multifaceted approach that includes competitive compensation, professional growth opportunities, recognition, effective feedback, inclusive policies, and strong community engagement.
My experience has shown that by implementing these strategies, we can create supportive, empowering environments that attract and retain talented educators. Ultimately, investing in teachers’ well-being and professional development translates into better educational outcomes for students, fostering a thriving school community.
‘Differentiated Professional Development’
Amanda Muffler is in her 10th year teaching secondary English. She is a current Utah Teacher Fellow:
Teacher retention is a current challenge for many schools and districts across the country. While there are no magic solutions to this challenge, I do think there is one specific action individual schools could take and one specific action districts could take to combat the issue and actually retain quality teachers.
At the individual school level, administration should offer teachers differentiated professional development. As someone who went to college to be an educator, who earned a master’s degree in education, and who is now in her 10th year teaching, I cannot tell you how much of an impact this would make on me and I believe without a doubt that I am not alone in this feeling.
As educators we know that in order to best serve our students, we must differentiate our instruction to help each of them reach their full individual potential. So why does that not happen for teachers? I do not need all of the same PD as someone who is just starting their career and did not go to college to be an educator.
Not only does it make PD boring and feel like a waste of time, but it also feels like an insult to my intelligence and professionalism. Differentiating PD would give teachers the professional respect they want, and frankly deserve, and actually help them improve in ways that would benefit our students.
I am not improving my practice and helping my students if I am in another version of the same PD I have received at the beginning of every school year since I started my career. I would, however, be improving my practice and helping my students if I was in a PD that actually challenged me and taught me something new. This would take more time and effort, but the benefit of retaining quality teachers who feel respected and valued would be worth it.
Beyond the school level, districts should offer opportunities/incentives for further education. Another way that teachers improve their practice in order to better help students is by getting more education themselves. If teachers don’t see any value in pursuing this education, they might very well not pursue it.
Our students deserve to be taught by the best of the best—and to me that means everyone should be highly educated. It is up to districts to help teachers see that value and want to continue their education. Realistically, every district cannot incentivize further education the way teachers may want—financially, but they can still provide other incentives and opportunities that are beneficial.
Partnering with local colleges and universities just so teachers are aware of programs they could enroll in is a good first step. This could potentially lead to programs for educators at discounted costs or other opportunities. Having a celebration assembly or dinner for staff with graduate degrees or honoring those currently pursuing graduate degrees could be another great first step. This would also show students that the district values postsecondary education. Just because districts cannot offer the ideal incentive, doesn’t mean they shouldn’t offer anything.
Teacher Burn-Out
Lauren Arzaga Daus was a high school ethnic-studies teacher in the San Francisco Unified school tistrict for several years. She is now a Ph.D. student in the School of Education and Information Studies at the University of California, Los Angeles:
Out of all the professions in the United States, K-12 teachers are the most burnt out. Teacher burnout leads to high attrition rates, which stem in large part to teachers’ compensation not aligning with their actual workload.
If you, yourself, are a teacher or if you know anyone who is, then you are familiar that this workload not only consists of what teachers do within their seven- to eight-hour workday but includes other responsibilities such as preparing lesson plans, grading student work, and giving advice to students, which are all usually done outside of their work hours.
In the seven years I was a high school ethnic-studies teacher, (un)wellness had been a major theme throughout my trajectory and had especially been prominent between 2020 and 2022 during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021, the National Education Association found that 37% of teachers had stated that they would leave the teaching profession earlier than they initially planned. In 2022, the percentage rose to 55% of teachers. With high teacher-attrition rates, there is a dire need to shift the ways in which districts and schools support teachers so that teachers can both do their job well and be well.
Compensation is one of the primary reasons why teachers quit. At the same time, teachers also stay in the profession because they find their work meaningful and/or they appreciate the colleagues they get to work with. Knowing this, districts and schools can not only learn from why teachers leave the classroom but can also draw from why teachers value their profession to support them to stay in the profession.
Districts need to build on their teacher-recruitment strategies by also planning on how to retain teachers in the long run. Districts should create a budget that compensates teachers for the work they actually do, as well as consider how to provide professional development tailored for teachers at their specific school sites. Professional development should focus on how teachers can enhance their pedagogies in the classroom and cultivate ways they can build meaningful relationships with students, students’ families, and colleagues. More compensation and the quality of professional development lets teachers know that they are worth investing in and allows them to further their knowledge and skills to teach their students.
Schools need to develop more spaces where teachers can collaborate and learn from each other. In these spaces, teachers can voice what they actually need to feel supported and effectively communicate about how to best support students, especially if they share the same students in their classes. Typically during staff meetings or grade-level meetings, teachers share classroom strategies that have worked for them. Teachers can also practice these strategies with each other before doing them with their students, as experience is one of the best ways to learn. This type of relationship building is attuned to the wellness of teachers and affirms how they need a community of people to sustain themselves and the work that they do.
It is clear that districts and schools need to be more cohesive to retain teachers. Because of the many different contexts across the nation, schools need to reflect on and revisit how they are practicing their own mission and vision to uphold the core beliefs and goals of their specific district. Effectively doing so can lead to higher teacher-retention rates. Centering the wellness of teachers is a way to prevent teacher burnout, and compensating teachers for the actual work they do makes them feel valued. The bottom line is that it takes a community effort to retain teachers so that they can continue to positively impact the lives of our young people.
Thanks to Carissa, Craig, Amanda, and Lauren for contributing their thoughts!
Today’s post answered this question:
What are specific actions districts and individual schools should take to retain teachers?
In Part One, Erica Buchanan-Rivera, Diana Laufenberg, and Jehan Hakim shared their suggestions.
In Part Two, Douglas Fisher, Nancy Frey, Andrea Terrero Gabbadon, and Dennisha Murff contributed their ideas.
I shared some ideas in Part Three.
Consider contributing a question to be answered in a future post. You can send one to me at lferlazzo@epe.org. When you send it in, let me know if I can use your real name if it’s selected or if you’d prefer remaining anonymous and have a pseudonym in mind.
You can also contact me on Twitter at @Larryferlazzo.
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