Lack of teachers. It’s a growing concern for schools and districts around the nation. It was painfully obvious for me this year as I looked at my sons' middle school schedules and saw "TBD" for the names of no less than three teachers for each of them.
I was a teacher and administrator for 18 years before leaving Florida public schools in May 2020. I understand the pressure teachers face every day — pressures that have only gotten worse since the COVID shutdown of spring 2020. So, it's not a wonder to me that teachers are leaving in droves for seemingly greener pastures. The question then becomes, How do we strategically plan to retain teachers for the long term? To answer this question, we need to analyze why teachers are leaving in the first place.
THE WHAT
The numbers are startling. “More than a half-million teachers have left the profession since the start of 2020. In a typical year, about 8 percent of teachers leave, but the 2021-22 school year saw more teachers leave in the middle of the school year than normal” (Greenblatt, 2022). In fact, according to a Hanover Research study, "33% of teachers are now somewhat or very likely to leave the profession." This is not chance or an outlier in the data. This has become an unfortunate trend.
THE WHY
Some reasons teachers leave are:
- Low pay
- Too much testing
- Lack of support leading to burnout
- Lack of quality PD and training
At the school level, there isn't much administrators can do about teacher pay. Every state and district has a budget they must adhere to, just like households have budgets to keep each person from overspending. Testing is another factor that is usually out of a school district’s or school's control.
However, two factors ARE within the control of an individual school and administration. Schools can address a lack of support which can lead to teacher burnout and lack of quality professional development and training.
Now we know the "what" and the "why” … let’s talk about “how.” How do we plan with the end goal to keep good teachers with our students?
THE HOW
Developing a long-term, strategic plan for teacher retention does not happen overnight. It takes time and input from various stakeholders. Depending on how your district structures onboarding and induction responsibilities, this could be addressed at the district or school level.
In a study conducted by James Shuls and Joshua Flores, a district that has been successful in long-term teacher retention attributes this to a comprehensive professional development and support plan that includes
- A five-day-long new teacher induction program and continued support throughout the year
- A two-tiered mentoring system
- Quality professional development to support teachers in achieving their own learning goals and career aspirations
Long-term teacher retention must include supporting our newest educators. According to Hanover Research, "44% of new teachers leave the profession within five years." As a school or district, ask yourself, "what do we want our teachers to know, and what do they need to know to be successful in their first year and beyond?"
During the five-day program attended by new teachers at the district mentioned earlier, "new hires attend sessions on topics such as instructional best practices, building relationships with students, exploring the district teacher evaluation tool, and much more. The goal is to help new staff feel comfortable, supported, and valued by the district even before setting foot in the classroom" (Shuls and Flores, 2020).
This takes extensive planning to decide who will deliver the training, the method of training, and the topics to cover. District staff, administrators, and veteran teachers must all be involved in this planning and the plan to support the new teachers beyond the induction program. Will there be regular check-ins? Can they be supported via online activities through the district's LMS platform? Is there a discussion board or chat board where they can turn for help? These are just a few questions your new teacher induction team will want to answer while planning for this specialized support.
This leads to the formation of a quality mentoring program. It is essential that new teachers are supported, not only by someone at their school who understands the inner workings but also by someone with experience teaching in their subject area or grade level. This support should continue beyond the first year. Meetings between the mentor and mentee can occur at any time, anywhere, virtually, or in person. Mentors should receive training on topics, such as providing quality feedback.
Another district interviewed in the Shuls and Flores study "attributed much (the) district's success in teacher retention to the support that the district provides its teachers." This district highly emphasizes personalized professional development for teachers.
Besides an extensive induction program for new hires, this district's "PD system is centered on supporting the individual and helping them grow as people and professionals. (The) district hosts an Education Camp each year where teachers have the ability to sign up for PD sessions that they feel are the most relevant, meaningful, helpful, or interesting to them and their role in the education process. The district lists all available Education Camp courses and sessions online, and teachers can personalize their selections to meet their needs after reviewing all available options. This system design is purposeful and ensures that the district is not providing one-size-fits-all professional development and upholds the district’s emphasis on supporting the growth of all individuals” (Shuls and Flores, 2020).
As before, when considering your long-term, strategic plan for teacher retention that includes quality and personalized professional development, you must answer similar questions:
How can we deliver quality training that meets our teachers' needs?
Do we have a platform that all teachers can easily access that fits within our district's budget and includes quality support for any issues that may arise?
If my district doesn't have the time or personnel to be trained in an LMS, is there the ability to access curriculum experts to take my curriculum and put it online for me?
Do our teachers have to go to more than one place to see all PD, sign up for PD, and then take online PD?
It's important to make the process as simple as possible while making the training itself the best it can be.
In conclusion, teachers need to feel supported, from the day they are hired to the day they retire — and everything in between. When this happens, teachers feel valued and will stay. Retention issues may not disappear entirely but can become much more manageable. So create your plan to support your teachers for the long run by providing a comprehensive, quality induction, mentoring, and professional development program. Your teachers will thank you for it.
– Gina Ciuffetelli, Gabbart Communications
References
Greenblatt, A. (2022, July 1). Why thousands of teachers are leaving the classroom. Governing. Retrieved August 24, 2022, from https://www.governing.com/now/why-thousands-of-teachers-are-leaving-the-classroom#:~:text=Perez%2DLane's%20story%20is%20common,the%20school%20year%20than%20normal.
Hanover Research. (2001). 4 Strategies to Increase Teacher Retention. Retrieved September 8, 2022, from https://wasa-oly.org/WASA/images/WASA/6.0%20Resources/Hanover/4%20STRATEGIES%20TO%20INCREASE%20TEACHER%20RETENTION.pdf
Shuls, V. James, Flores, M. Joshua (2020). Improving Teacher Retention through Support and Development, Journal of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, 4(1). https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1282763.pdf
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