Those who dedicate their professional careers to serving in education remain an exception to the field of education. When schools are fortunate to find such individuals, it is critical to provide opportunities for retention. Below are some key strategies and considerations for addressing retention:
Professional Development Opportunities
Work to provide ongoing and meaningful professional development to ensure engagement and enriching challenges to staff to continue to help support their professional growth.
- Ongoing Training: Offering teachers opportunities to grow professionally, such as workshops, certifications, and college courses, can enhance job satisfaction and long-term commitment.
- Leadership Training: Encouraging teachers to pursue leadership roles and providing mentorship programs can help them feel valued and supported.
- Implement collaborative tools: These help facilitate cross-curricular collaboration and create opportunities for educators from different subject areas, grades and buildings to work together on projects, instructional activities and provide opportunity for collaborative educational initiatives.
- Foster a culture of feedback among educators to promote continuous improvement and collaboration. This can be easily obtained through . . . .
- Peer Mentorship Programs: Pairing new teachers with experienced mentors can provide guidance and reduce the feeling of isolation in the early years of teaching.
- Regular Feedback: Constructive feedback and the opportunity for professional growth through performance reviews are key to helping teachers improve and stay engaged.
- Video Reflection & Coaching: Using video to capture classroom instruction allows educators to reflect on their teaching, gain valuable insights, and receive targeted feedback from peers or coaches. Tools like Teaching Channel’s Empower Platform, make this process seamless, fostering continuous learning and instructional improvement.
Inclusive Hiring Practices
Diversifying the educator workforce helps reflect the communities they serve and can make staff feel more included and valued.
- Creating Inclusive Classrooms: Training teachers on culturally responsive teaching practices and ensuring support for diverse student populations contributes to job satisfaction.
- Commit to reviewing staff demographics and hiring data to ensure recruitment of a diverse workforce exists. This includes evaluating teacher turnover and identifying any areas of need.
Competitive Compensation
Work to provide competitive pay, staff support structures, and benefits.
- Fair Pay: Offering competitive wages that reflect the hard work and dedication of educators is essential. Pay should keep pace with inflation and the rising cost of living.
- Incentive Programs: Providing additional financial incentives, such as bonuses for experienced teachers or specific certifications, may help retain them in the profession.
- Benefits Package: Comprehensive benefits, including health insurance, retirement plans, and wellness programs, contribute to staff satisfaction.
Supportive School Culture
Prioritize expressing appreciation and fostering a robust support system such as providing ongoing mentoring and support for staff. This includes fostering relationships among staff that are both formal and informal.
- Strong Leadership: Principals and administrators who are supportive, communicative, and open to feedback create an environment where teachers feel valued.
- Collaboration and Teamwork: Fostering a collaborative environment where teachers can work together, share resources, and support each other improves morale and retention.
- Respect and Recognition: Regularly recognizing teachers for their hard work and achievements can help make them feel appreciated and less likely to leave.
- Public Perception: Advocacy campaigns to improve the public’s perception of teachers and education as a whole can contribute to a more positive working environment.
Retaining staff in public education in 2025 will require a multifaceted approach that addresses not only pay and benefits but also the overall work environment, professional growth opportunities, and personal well-being. A supportive, fair, and collaborative school culture, paired with structural changes to reduce burnout and increase job satisfaction, will be key to ensuring that educators remain in the profession for the long term. By working to create a supportive and sustainable environment for all will ultimately help improve retention rates.
About the Author
Dr. Bridget Chaves holds a Doctoral Degree in Leadership and Innovation as well as a Master of Education in School Leadership and Instruction. With a background in educational leadership roles, Dr. Chaves is currently the superintendent of Mildford School District and the Director of Student Learning.
