What Does it Take to Retain Good Teachers?

Teacher retention is becoming more and more of a problem. Recently, a good friend of mine asked an excellent question during a job interview. She asked the teacher sitting on the panel why he had stayed with the district for so long. The teacher's response spoke volumes (and made me want to apply for a position there!). He is allowed to teach. Wow! Every teacher's dream. Just let us teach. This cry has been heard around the globe for the last several years and it is getting louder.  Teachers want to teach. They want the freedom to teach. They want to be trusted to do what is best for their students. They don't want to participate in mindless, senseless, meaningless PD or try gimmicks that are here today and gone tomorrow. Teachers want to create and implement lessons that will reach their students. Challenge and engage them, if you want to use the correct buzz words. Teachers like to collaborate with others and develop curriculum that will help their students. They want to have good relationships with parents and build strong relationships with their students.

So, with those wants (needs actually) out there for everyone to read and hear, WHY does NO ONE listen?  Why is retention an ongoing problem? Many teachers are leaving the profession for greener pastures elsewhere or dreaming about the day that they can retire. It has nothing to do with losing the joy of teaching kids. It has everything to do with lack of discipline and tied hands, being unable to do what the classroom teacher knows is best. Having the joy of teaching sucked right out of you.  Some environments are downright toxic. It isn't healthy to stay and keep beating your head against a system that is more interested in politics than kids.  So.... they make the difficult decision to leave.

The end result is a school district flooded with new, inexperienced teachers with few veteran teachers left to mentor them.  The few veterans that are left are overburdened with responsibilities that other teachers are not yet ready to assume OR new teachers are handed responsibilities that overload them. Burn-out.

It isn't in every district. As I've mentioned before, I substitute in some unique situations. Charming, small schools that have little turnover. You would think with the lower pay and benefits teachers would be clambering to find another position in a larger district. Wrong. Teachers are content because there is discipline, they are listened to and appreciated, AND they are allowed to teach. Their creative side has freedom. You can't put a price tag on contentment. And, you can't put a price tag on good teachers!


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