How can you retain high-quality teachers?

Low salaries are directly correlated with the lack of teacher retention. The low compensations make it difficult for teachers to afford doing what they love to do, which is teach. Increased salaries are needed if we want to retain quality teachers. Many teachers have multiple degrees and are forced to either leave education for a new career or seek out additional jobs to supplement their income. If it is said that “teachers are the backbone of any school, and their skills, motivation, and satisfaction affect student outcomes, school culture, and organizational performance”, then we need to start taking care of them as such. The graduates of tomorrow are only as good as the teachers today!

Treat them like you would other professionals. Hire them for their skills, respect them, have a growth path for them and fire them if they don't perform. Teachers are professionals like any other industry.

I left for a multitude of reasons, however pay was ironically not one of them. I felt I was compensated well, even if it didn't match the hours I worked as a band director. I left because the job was taking me away from my primary job of being a dad. Too many late nights, weekends, and other commitments kept me from being able to coach my son's soccer team and take my daughter to swim class. The promise of being treated like a professional adult (a cookie/baked good is NOT an adequate reward for teacher performance), growth opportunities, no more wildly irrational parent interactions, professional support, and the significant reduction in work hours all made the transition a no-brainer.

Give educators autonomy. When educators are given the autonomy to be creative and respond directly to their students' interests and needs teaching can be the most inspiring and joyful profession. Treat educators like the professionals they are. Trust them to know what their students' need. Include them in decision-making that affects them and their students. Pay them a professional wage.

Pay them. It is that simple. The best place to start is to compensate teachers like the professionals they are. Next, restore standards of behavior and discipline to the classrooms. Administrations must be willing to back teacher's discipline decisions and be willing to set standards of acceptable behavior school wide that make the school environment and culture a positive and safe one for students and teachers. Lastly, we need to move away from being testing mills and return to educating young people in a way that produces a well rounded and independent thinking member of society. We need to meet the needs of the individual students be it students on the college or vocational/trade route. Learn for a better life not a test.

If schools had better pay and benefits, more experienced and qualified teachers would stay in the profession. Additionally, if schools provided ongoing professional development opportunities, teachers would feel supported and valued, which could also lead to higher retention rates. Furthermore, if schools created a positive and collaborative work environment, teachers would be more likely to stay and contribute to the school community. Finally, if schools recognized and rewarded teachers for their hard work and dedication, they would feel appreciated and motivated to continue teaching.

I think the key point here is not to provide the professional learning, that happens already, but rather a good leader will provide the time and space for professional educators to invest in their own learning. Providing professional learning opportunities that come with an allocation of time rather than just an expectation to undertake professional learning in an already full working week is key. A quality educational leader will recognise and appreciate the busy lives of teachers and help create the space for their own learning and growth.

I loved teaching, but left due to paperwork and meetings, plus so many activities unrelated to my work. For every lesson, I did 1 hours prep, and this could only be done on an unpaid day. Then also, as a TAS teachers, I spent hours each week maintaining and cleaning learning spaces and equipment - No aides to help here. Add in reading the ILPs and IBPs plus welfare meetings, and then training and learning on new software. When tasks get added, they are done quietly over time, and teachers find work has been added, and nothing has been removed. I trained in the 1970s with a paid scholarship (due to shortages). Today, we have profitised training, so Science and TAS teachers must pay more for their degrees, yet earn the same salary.

While I agree with this point ??, it’s also important to remember that in the UAE for example teachers come from various countries and teacher accreditation systems. Some schools in the UAE develop teachers who then move on to higher paying establishments and this is their right and they deserve it. Retention is much lower and these ‘feeder’ schools have to restart the development process with new teachers. Comprehensive PD plans and individual PDPs are very important but so is succession planning and giving opportunities to all.

As a teacher who over the years has looked for many opportunities to further enhance my knowledge outside of the setting I have seen others being favored and sent on courses that they do not wish to go on. When I asked to go on these I was told that I choose to do them outside and I am happy to use my own time. Ask teachers what they want at the start of the year and see what teachers can offer to their colleagues. Look at the teachers that are willing to attend and return to then share the information with their colleagues. Find courses that would benefit your staff and the school. Give the opportunity of growth to those that want to enhance themselves - show that you want them to succeed and become more at the school.

Many organizations tend to increase the workload of high-performing teachers. In such cases, it becomes a regular struggle to maintain firm and healthy boundaries at work, thereby increasing work stress. Providing clear job roles and responsibilities, division of workload within teams, and a culture of respect at work can do wonders in regulating such issues. Organizations should stop misleading individuals into taking on more responsibilities than initially indicated. Additionally, fair and just division of workload and resolution of conflict will ensure that high-quality teachers do not feel let down by the team.

The best way to build a supportive and collaborative environment is to practice self-reflection. It is important to hone in on empathy, to take time to know each person in the building and build honest relationships free from judgement.

I know it has become cliché, but the advice still holds true. "Treat others how you want to be treated." This has been written in every ancient text known to man. We would be wise to heed it.

Teachers are the backbone of an institution. And so deserve every bit of respect and attention. The onus of building a supportive culture lies with the head of the institution. The teachers, besides being paid competitive salaries, should feel welcomed in their environment- a place where their voice is heard, their opinions matter and their decisions respected. It's so important for the head to remain not only accessible but connected with them. Checking intermittently on their personal and professional requirements and going all out as far as possible, makes the teacher feels cared for. A happy employee is the best brand ambassador of an institution. Supporting them should not be a mere formality but the culture of the school.

In my role as adjunct Professor of Education, I have seen over the past decade that many of the best educators are the quickest to leave the profession. These bright young superstars are full of ideas and willing to do whatever it takes to help their students succeed. As the years go on, I have seen many of these teachers lose their spark. Their creativity has been quieted in favor of procedures, scripts, and requirements. The fastest way to lose our best teachers is to micromanage them, as this article states. Giving teachers their freedom and creativity back will not only retain them, but will result in exponential gains in student learning as well. Inspired teachers lead inspired students.

For teaching to be impactful, teachers need to love and own what they teach. Only if teachers have autonomy in designing and curating their curriculum, can they convey the passion that impels them. And, a passionate teacher can spur students to engage deeply with content and explore uncharted paths while extending their learning and our collective understanding.

A teacher who is not allowed to prepare his own courses and teach with his own methods is contributing to departmental failure without a doubt. To make it worst introduce iron clad Micro-management. Reaction of such is, teachers will only see clock and not the delivery of course content.

I agree with a lot of what people are saying. Unfortunately, states often overregulate what is taught in the classroom and often impose testing requirements that "force" teachers to teach to the test, which ultimately hampers creativity. On another note, one of the best ways to retain teachers is for schools to implement mentorship programs for young teachers. Teacher education programs and student teaching do not adequately prepare first year teachers for the realities of the classroom. Having new teachers work alongside veterans to guide them with unforeseen obstacles, developing lessons and guiding with classroom management is one way to help retain teachers.

To combat teacher attrition stemming from micromanagement, it's crucial to endorse teacher autonomy and voice. As an educational leader, grant teachers the freedom to shape their classroom and curriculum. Provide flexibility in teaching methods and assessments. Involve them in decision-making and solicit their input on school matters. This approach enhances teacher satisfaction and benefits education in the United States.

We are learning more about cognitive load for students. It’s time to think about cognitive load for teachers, with particular reference to the role of the classroom teacher when designing school-level curriculum.

The reason I accepted my current position over another, more lucrative, position was the sell on not working outside school hours. Happy I don’t receive work emails after 4, but the time during the school day that I was promised to accomplish marking and planning has been a farce. With a teaching shortage in the country and teachers needing to take days off (more so than I have ever seen in my 30 year teaching career), my non-teaching time each day is spent covering lessons, cafe duty, hallway duty, etc. So all that “time to get work done” isn’t what I was sold. Instead, lesson plans go simplistic while marking papers piles up. This, if you want your evenings free, or maybe you need them for a second job.

If we can authentically invest in holistic wellness for teachers and other leaders, we can improve retention, but more importantly, the quality of life and work experience for those folks doing great work out there! A teacher who is well is much more likely to excel in their craft, and to be equipped in myriad ways to support student wellness in addition. Support and investment in the HUMANS in all of our systems (education included) is essential and growing in need by the day.

To retain high-quality teachers, it's crucial to address teacher well-being and work-life balance. Schools can implement policies that promote manageable workloads and reasonable hours, ensuring educators have time for personal lives. For instance, limiting excessive administrative tasks and paperwork can alleviate stress. Encouraging flexible scheduling or remote teaching options can help teachers balance work with family needs. Moreover, offering mental health support services, like counseling or stress management workshops, demonstrates a commitment to their well-being. By prioritizing work-life balance, schools create a positive environment where teachers feel valued and are more likely to stay and excel in their roles.

Well-being and work-life means the physical and mental health of the Individuals, Work - the organizational topography- Life= the family, relatives, community living. It is really a matter of social, cultural, economic, and environment factors at work (Organization) and Live (Neighbourhood). Though it appears to be complex, in reality there is no prototype/ideal model. It is the capacity and ability to cope up- the social resilience matters. Positive-favorable actions/ negative-unfavorable actions- It is EXPERIENCE and MOVE FORWARD should be the ATTITUDE towards make a BALANCE

The strongest leaders I have seen are a part of their community, not an authority. Education is one of the most important factors offered to change the trajectory of students lives. A leader should gauge their success by the success of the people they lead.

There needs to be another way for teachers to get promoted besides “become an administrator.” Not every teacher desire this type of career, but there is simply no path to advancement without leaving the classroom. Sure, there are incentive programs, it many are complex and based not on excellence in teaching but a sort Eriksonian “give the right answers, get a reward” methodology. The simple teacher pay ladder doesn’t work, nor does basing teacher pay on student performance on standardized tests. The answer is in administrators being more present to see what teachers actually do when they are not performing for an evaluation. It’s listening to students to see what teachers are actually doing. It’s getting parent feedback.

Retaining high quality teachers involves creating suppotive and motivating academic environment . Competative salary, opportunities for professional development,wok life balance, Recognition and appreciations of their achievements and contribution and open and transparent communication are vital to retain high quality teachers.

School safety is increasingly an issue that needs to be discussed as a part of teacher retention strategies. Passionate teachers are motivated by a desire to help their students learn. However, increases in school shootings, community violence, and even climate change events, have all expanded the role of teachers to taking actions that can significantly impact their safety and wellbeing. Now that (some) teachers have to be responsible for protecting students from legitimate security concerns, we must reevaluate how they are being prepared for, and supported in their classrooms. Additionally, we must reevaluate if their compensation adequately matches the level of risk they are exposed to in their jobs.