We believe that teacher retention is one of the most challenging issues facing school districts today. And while thousands of hours and dollars have been invested in solving this problem, there is not a single or clear solution. We believe that external factors such as federal and state funding, changes in the cost of living, and local employment opportunities have a dramatic impact on teacher retention. And we believe that we can design internal innovations within these external constraints. We also fundamentally believe that teacher retention is closely linked to practices for teacher recruitment and training. Finally, we believe we need to bring in best practices for employee engagement and retention from other sectors if we are going to create meaningful and lasting change.
Through our work with over 140 districts, we developed the eight key design elements we think need to be considered at a system level when re-imagining how districts can support teacher recruitment and retention. The 8 elements of teacher retention are:
The average person will work more than 90,000 hours in a lifetime. For most of us, work fills the majority of our waking hours, and yet Gallup reports that seventy percent of U.S. employees are disengaged at work.
We believe that teacher agency isn't something you have, but rather something you do. We also believe that there are very definitive steps education leaders can take in their schools and districts to support teachers in developing teacher agency.
Celebrations usually have a place of importance in our personal lives, which we don't often see reflected in professional environments. In a job which moves at a nonstop pace and can sometimes feel thankless, consistent celebration is key.
Teachers teach because they love what they do. And like any professional who is passionate about their career, teachers also seek professional growth, through which they can expand their impact and find what we call job satisfaction.
We are real believers that learning for all, at any level, benefits from being personalized - and this is just as applicable when it comes to professional development and training for teachers.
Read how Miami-Dade County Public Schools - the 4th largest school district in the nation - is addressing the changing face of recruiting and retention. Hiring anywhere from 700-1,000 teachers in a year, the district's Human Capital Management team applies the lens of The NEW School Rules to transform how they approach recruiting and retention.
As technology changes, so does its role in the classroom - and along with that, many fear that the role of teachers will become altogether obsolete. While technological advances have enhanced the process of education for many - both students and teachers - it is by no means a substitute for dedicated, hardworking teachers
