Teacher recruitment and retention has become a hot topic across the state this year, although it is nothing new for many of our rural and western districts. When I joined the KASB board in 2017, teacher recruitment was an area of focus for many of us, and the pandemic has only magnified the issue.
On the retention side districts are faced with the “double whammy” of many experienced teachers taking early retirement or simply deciding to leave the profession. At the same time many that are relatively new to the profession are opting to change their career path rather than become something of a political lightning rod. The result has been many openings going unfilled leading to larger class sizes with less support for the remaining teaching staff. This environment leads to greater frustration and predictable results.
From the recruitment side, it becomes glaringly simple to see the issue. There are merely dozens of people each year who enter a profession where hundreds are exiting. The situation has become unsustainable.
The question turns to what districts and boards can do about it. To start I would suggest spending some time reading the recent Teacher Engagement and Retention Survey that was conducted by Emporia State University. It may reinforce what you have seen happening in your district, but it also starts looking at the “why.” In my view, it can simply be defined as a culture. While getting paid a higher wage never hurts, teachers are telling us they want to work in an environment where they are wanted, have support, and opportunities for professional development. Generationally we are also seeing some things that are becoming more important to entry. New teachers place a high value on leaving work at work, they understand the value of having time to grade or prepare lesson plans while they are at work and are seeking out the districts that share that value.
At the end of the day, we are ALL going to have to build that positive, accepting culture within our districts to overcome the negative stigma that has been built over decades. It may start a building at a time, then spread across the district, then across the state, but it needs to start soon, or our children will be the ones to suffer.
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