Even in the best of times, many school districts nationwide have struggled to staff their classrooms with the teachers they need. As we all struggle with the aftereffects of a global pandemic, it is clear that COVID has had a massive impact on public education, creating new challenges and also worsening existing problems. I have heard from many districts in Kansas, rural and urban, that one of their current greatest challenges is recruiting and retaining staff.
We could point out many causes to understand the root of this problem. When COVID forced all education to an online platform, many educators decided to retire early, and others have decided to leave the profession for mental or financial reasons. The current state of staffing shortages was born of a perfect storm of retirement, frequent attacks on public education, and a culture of undervaluing and overworking educators. These factors, coupled with a decades-long trend of declining numbers of people entering the profession to replace the people leaving, have left a gaping hole in the job market for qualified teachers.
Great educators are the foundation for a successful school system. The goal of public education has always been to provide the support and resources that give every student the best chance to succeed. Without a strong foundation, the whole system is weakened, often leading to declining student success. Knowing this issue's importance, the next question is how we can improve retention and recruitment.
School leaders must make decisions and find solutions for all manner of problems; some might have a simple, clear-cut answer. This staffing challenge is adaptive, and no single known or simple solution reverses the trend. Many may think that a pay increase is the only way to fix this problem. While that is part of the puzzle, there are many other components to consider. School leaders must think of innovative ways to fit the puzzle pieces together to create a picture of the future they envision.
Build a system that supports your educators in new ways.
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Give your staff a voice. Teachers are the ones seeing the issues in the classroom directly. They should have a say in how the students are educated. Create a feedback loop, listen to what staff are saying and find ways to implement changes based on their feedback. From there, the process repeats.
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Invest in your staff. Provide opportunities for professional growth. Allow time for staff to reflect and collaborate regularly throughout the year. Supply them with the resources they need, physical and emotional, to best teach their students.
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Provide clear communication and direction. The school board must have a clear plan of what changes need to be made and the end goal and communicate that clearly with their staff.
Some school districts in rural areas have been unable to recruit and retain staff because limited housing is available in the area closest to the school. One solution I have heard about is offering a Housing Mileage Stipend. If teachers had to find accommodation in a town or two over, they would have a stipend to compensate for the money spent on gas to commute. Another solution that shows the districts value their professionals is the implementation of programs that provide a district commitment to contribute to tuition for their staff to receive further education and professional growth.
School leaders must think creatively to tap into local talent. Recruiting teachers can begin before they graduate high school. Many high school students may be interested in becoming a teacher. Implementing a program that puts them on a pathway to teaching can lead to an influx of teachers in the workforce in the next 5-10 years. Another option is to consider using local community leaders as student mentors. Have students shadow them or have them come to class to teach them about real-life skills they have acquired in their jobs.
I challenge school leaders to think outside the box about what else needs to be discussed to support and value their staff. A competitive base salary and benefits are only one piece of the puzzle for keeping educators in your district and attracting individuals into education. Start the conversation today to create an improved workplace experience to retain the people that make our Kansas schools great.
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