Want to Retain Teachers? Treat Them Like Professionals. (Plus 3 More Tips)
There’s a Reddit thread where teachers vent about why they quit their jobs.
Low wages.
Student behavior.
Lack of support from admin.
For those of us in the recruitment/HR space, this list won’t come as any surprise. Teacher turnover has long been an issue, and it’s getting increasingly difficult to find and retain quality educators.
A recent study estimated there were 55,000 vacant teaching positions across the United States, along with 270,000 positions filled by underqualified educators. Making matters worse, those numbers are likely an underestimate, as some state reports used in the study were out of date (i.e., pre- COVID), and other states don’t track information on teacher vacancies.
I’ve been in education for more than 25 years. My experience includes serving as a classroom teacher, a curriculum specialist, and a principal, to name a few. For the past five years, I’ve been working with Noble Education Initiative, where I’m the Director of Educator Preparation.
From my experience, the best strategy to improve teacher retention is to respect teachers and treat them like the professionals they are.
Here’s the thing: We all know compensation is a factor. More money would undoubtedly improve retention, but barring a sudden influx of cash, we have to address the issue in other ways.
Below are my 3 tips.
- Focus on Professional Development
For some teachers, this starts with helping them earn their professional certification, which is why it’s crucial to have a certification expert on your staff. This person needs to know the certification process forward and backward, stay up to date with regular research, and happily answer calls, texts, and emails from teachers who have questions.
Some districts and charter management organizations (CMOs) even cover Educator Preparation Program/Institute tuition for teachers who agree to stay with the district or charter network for a certain number of years. This is a win-win if you can get the funding. The teacher gets a quality education without worrying about the cost, and the district gets a certified teacher for a guaranteed number of years.
From there, professional development should continue throughout a teacher’s career. At NEI, we offer courses on classroom management, lesson planning, using assessments to drive instruction, and more. Our courses are practical — to be most effective, the training must be applicable to a teacher’s day-to-day life — and 100% online. That way, teachers can fit the training into their schedule and work at their own pace.
You can also build various levels of leadership in your schools. That could include instructional, grade-level, or curriculum leads — anything that allows teachers to grow and have an impact outside their classroom.
- Have a TRUE Open-Door Policy
Every principal claims to have an open-door policy, but I would argue most don’t.
An open-door policy is not, “Oh, I’ll take an appointment.”
It’s not, “These are my office hours.”
It means, “My door is truly open. Come when you want, and I’ll make you a priority.”
Teachers get few breaks, and those breaks are measured in minutes. If they have an issue, and they’re coming to talk to you about it now, take time out of your day now to help them address it.
I know you’re busy, too, but one of the responsibilities of joining the admin team is taking care of teachers. When teachers feel like a priority, when they have open lines of communication with their building leaders, it can make a big difference with how they feel about their job overall.
- Have Your Teachers’ Backs
Empower your teachers to be decision makers, support the initiatives they’re interested in, and make sure they know you’re in their corner. If parents or community members are bullying or trying to control the classroom (I’ve seen this far too often), provide interference so your teachers can focus on teaching.
As an administrative leader, school culture starts with you. Build a positive culture where teachers are supported, trusted, and empowered to do their jobs well.
Better retention rates will follow.
