Many feel it is a lack of support from school leadership, overloading teachers due to the shortages in their schools and no letup in the amount of work they do. More recently, student behavior has become a major concern since returning from the pandemic years. Some of the main reasons reported by teachers follow:

• Schools are short-staffed and staffed with many teachers lacking certification.
• Three-fourths (74%) reported having to fill in for colleagues or absorbing other duties due to staff shortages.
• Feeling burned out was checked by 90% of the reporting teachers and 67% considered it a very serious problem.
• Raising teacher salaries had 96% support with 81% strongly in support. With an average salary across the country at $66,000 and with no significant increase in nearly a decade when adjusted for inflation, pay remains one of the most significant reasons teachers leave.
• Some 50% of the teachers reported expecting to leave education sooner than originally planned. The already underrepresented Black and Hispanic/Latino teachers expressed this sentiment at 62% and 59%.

One report found that the age of the teacher or the years in service of being a teacher did not matter. All ages and years of service categories had a high percentage of teachers now planning to leave the profession earlier (Jokoff, 2022).

Teacher shortages across the country: A sample of 10 states

The following information shows the number of teacher shortages being filled by non-certified teachers and positions left unfilled during the 2021-22 school year:

• Teacher shortages: California, 27,475; Texas, 49,346; Florida, 22,538; Pennsylvania,13,337; Virginia, 11,212; Oklahoma, 6,263; North Carolina, 6,207; Michigan, 5,936; and Ohio, 3,932
• Unfilled teacher positions: Seven of these 10 states reported having nearly 13,000  ‘unfilled’ positions even after filling as many openings as they could with non-certified teachers. The other three states did not report their unfilled positions.

Solutions needed now

Teacher shortages in every state have continued to grow over the past several years. Legislative solutions, other than adding ‘patches,’ have been difficult to identify. The previous pipelines for preparing teachers have not been able to keep up and have experienced declines in enrollment.

A few have even closed out their programs due to a lack of enrollment. The state of Michigan’s teacher retention rate in 2021-22 stood at 73%. The Black teacher retention rate was at 59% that same year. (Dellinger, 2024).

Superintendent turnover: Superintendent turnover: 2 big districts pick new leaders

There are other major concerns that need to be dealt with by school boards and administrators across the country. Teacher pay, working conditions and other concerns have been identified in numerous research studies over the past few years.

A number of community colleges in each of the above states need to be drawn upon to help produce the baccalaureate degree teachers necessary to overcome and/or reduce their teacher shortages and non-certified teachers.

Proposing community colleges as a new and important pipeline

Community and two-year technical colleges have been proposed as a new pipeline for preparing new teachers. Florida has provided an example of the kinds of teacher preparation programs that community and technical colleges can provide.

Additionally, community colleges can contribute to increasing the number and diversity of a future cohort of K12 educators. The solutions for teacher shortages, via community and technical colleges, are available throughout the country in the backyards of all American school districts.

Teaching programs in Florida community colleges

The following is a sample of large and smaller Florida community colleges out of a total of 27 offering baccalaureate degrees in education:

Broward College

• BS Teacher Education in Exceptional Student Education
• BS Teacher Education in Middle Grades Science and Mathematics
• BS Teacher Education in Secondary Biology and Mathematics

Daytona State College

• BS Elementary Education
• BS Exceptional Education
• BS Secondary positions in Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics and Physics Education
• BS Secondary Earth/Space Science Education

Miami Dade College

• BS Early Childhood Education
• BS Exceptional Student Education K-12
• BS Secondary Science and Mathematics Education

Chipola College

• BS Teacher Education in Elementary Education K-6
• BS Teacher Education in English Education
• Bachelor of Science in Teacher Education in Exceptional Student Education
• BS Teacher Education in Middle School Math Education (grades 5- 9) and Mathematics Education (grades 6-12)
• BS Teacher Education in Middle School Science Education (grades 5-9) and Biology Education (grades 6-12)

South Florida State College

• BS Elementary Education

St. Johns River State College

• Early Childhood Education

The Maricopa Community College District in Arizona and the Ivy Tech Community Colleges in Indiana are in two other states that have started approving their community colleges to prepare Baccalaureate Degree teachers to help overcome the severe teacher shortages in both states.

Summary comments

This is now the time to move into solutions beyond current facts on the teacher shortages in the U.S. The previous pipelines for preparing teachers have proven unable to keep up and have experienced major enrollment declines, resulting in some university programs being discontinued.

Community and technical colleges are proposed in this article as a practical and common-sense solution for the future. Community colleges as an expanding new pipeline can also increase the number and diversity of a future cohort of K-12 educators by serving as a central cohesive component.

References

• Dellinger, H. (2024, March 6). Advocates ask Michigan to fund educator retention programs. Bridge Michigan. Retrieved March 11, 2014 at https://www.bridgemi.com/talent-education/advocates-ask-michigan-fund-educator-retention-programs?utm_source=Bridge+Michigan&utm_campaign
• Jotkoff, E. (2022, Feb. 1). NEA survey: Massive staff shortages in schools leading to educator burnout; alarming number of educators indicating they plan to leave profession. 
• NEA survey: Massive staff shortages in schools leading to educator burnout; alarming number of educators indicating they plan to leave profession
• Tamez-Robledo, N. (2023, Feb. 15) What Does It Mean to Have a ‘National’ Teacher Shortage? EdSurge. Retrieved March 12, 2024 at What Does It Mean to Have a ‘National’ Teacher Shortage? | EdSurge News

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Thomas Taylor, currently the superintendent of Stafford County Public Schools in Virginia, was named the next superintendent of his alma mater, Montgomery County Public Schools in Maryland. Taylor, a district administrator for 12 years and an educator for 25, has served as superintendent in Middlesex County (Va.) and deputy superintendent in Chesterfield County (Va.).

Atlanta Public Schools also tapped a former superintendent, Bryan Johnson, as its next leader. Johnson, currently executive vice chancellor and chief strategy officer at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, was formerly the superintendent of Hamilton County Schools (Tenn.) from 2017 to 2021 and chief academic officer of the Clarksville-Montgomery County School System.

‘Talking Out of School’ podcast: Why K12 branding and marketing are more important than ever

Another superintendent on the move is Ryan S. Saxe, who is taking the helm of West Virginia’s Berkeley County Schools after leading Cabell County Schools since 2017. Cabell County Schools has already selected Saxe’s replacement: Tim Hardesty, superintendent of the Mason County School District (W.Va.).

First-timers stepping into the superintendency include Michelle Thomson at the Forest Park Schools in Michigan and Jesus “Jesse” Chavarria, who has been promoted from assistant superintendent for administrative services to superintendent at the Anaheim Elementary School District in California.

Kentucky’s Jackson County Public Schools has hired Renee Smith as its next superintendent. Smith has been an administrator at Clay County Public Schools for the past 12 years.

In Texas, Houston ISD administrator Joseph Villarreal has been named superintendent of Santa Maria ISD while in Ohio, Zachary Weagley has been picked to lead the Keystone Local School District. Weagley is currently assistant superintendent of teaching, learning and leadership for the Willoughby Eastlake City Schools.

More new hires

• Nick Angel, Grass Lake Community Schools (Michigan)
• Rex Booth, Trigg County Public Schools (Kentucky)
• Melissa Carruth, Clarenceville School District (Michigan)
• Natalie McCracken, Norwin School District (Pennsylvania)
• Jose Reyes, Alexander City Schools (Alabama)
• Denise Rugani, Liberty Union High School District (California)
• Jimmy Wright, Wells ISD (Texas)

Superintendent turnover: Departures

Among the most notable departures is Jamie Wilson, who is retiring after 12 years as superintendent of Denton ISD in Texas. In New York, Superintendent Daniel D. Bowles will retire in August after leading the North Syracuse Central School District since 2019. Elsewhere:

• Jaime Cole is resigning from Peru Community Schools (Indiana).
• Thurston Lamb resigned as superintendent of Henderson ISD (Texas).
• Superintendent Carol G. Perez has reached a separation agreement with the Mission Consolidated Independent School District (Texas).
• Superintendent Cosimo Tangorra will retire in March from the New Hartford Central School District (New York).

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In a pattern that has held steady since 2021, teachers said they worked longer hours for lower pay than adults in similar industries, the survey found. Respondents reported working an average of 53 hours per week, with about 15 of these hours “outside of their contracts.”

Just over half of similar working adults—who reported working an average 44 hours per week—described their base pay as adequate; only 36% of teachers shared that sentiment about their salaries. Teachers who felt underpaid said a raise of at least $16,000 would bring them level with other working adults.

Teachers expressed other frustrations, citing student misbehavior and administrative work outside of teaching as major sources of stress this year.

“This is RAND’s fourth consecutive year collecting data that raise concerns about high stress and low pay in the teacher workforce,” Sy Doan, lead author of the report, said in a statement. “Although teacher well-being seems to have stabilized at pre-pandemic levels, our data raise questions about the sustainability of the profession for Black teachers and female teachers in particular.”

Here are some other notable findings from the State of the Teacher survey:

• Black teachers reported working significantly more hours per week and were less satisfied with their workloads.
• Black teachers were also more likely to report inadequate base pay, significantly lower base pay and intentions to leave their job.
• Female teachers reported significantly higher rates of frequent job-related stress and burnout than male teachers, a consistent pattern since 2021.
• Female teachers also reported significantly lower base pay.
• Teachers (24%) are about as likely to report intending to leave their job as are working adults (22%).

‘Talking Out of School’ podcast: Why K12 branding and marketing are more important than ever

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Yvonne Stokes is taking the helm at the Gary Community School Corporation in Indiana after having previously served as superintendent of Hamilton Southeastern Schools and assistant superintendent of the School Town of Munster.

“The school board, district staff, families, community and state leaders are dedicated to eliminating the effects of structural and systemic inequities that negatively impact students,” Stokes said on the district’s Facebook page. “These efforts resonate with me because I am passionate about breaking down barriers and creating access and opportunity for all our students to be successful.”

Torie Gibson will lead the Livermore Valley Joint Unified School District in California after serving as dual superintendent for the Amador County Office of Education and Amador County USD. Gibson has spent nine years as a superintendent. In New York, Superintendent Richard DeMallie is moving to the Fonda-Fultonville Central School District from the Fort Edward Union Free School District.

Randi Anderson, an educational consultant who has been superintendent in rural school districts in Pelican Rapids, Minnesota, and Shawano, Wisconsin, was named the next superintendent of The School District of Sevastopol in Wisconsin.

First-time superintendents

Dorchester County Public Schools in Maryland promoted Interim Superintendent Jymil Thompson to the full-time position. Thompson was previously Dorchester’s assistant superintendent. In the same state, Mary Boswell-McComas, currently a principal in Baltimore County, was appointed the next superintendent of Kent County Public Schools.

Lawrence County Schools in Kentucky has promoted its chief academic officer and a member of its class of 1989, Katie Webb, to become its next superintendent. Webb also worked as an administrator in Paintsville Independent Schools. Ohio’s South-Western City School District has tapped Worthington City Schools Assistant Superintendent Randy Banks as its next leader. Banks spent 13 years as a Worthington administrator after serving as a middle school principal in the South-Western City School District.

‘Talking Out of School’ podcast: Closing the digital access divide

Two Michigan districts hired first-time leaders. East Jordan Public Schools has picked Enos M. Bacon III, a principal in a nearby district, and Onsted Community Schools has tapped Jonathan Royce, also a principal in another district.

Back east, Pennsylvania’s Millersburg Area Board of School District has picked its next superintendent, Lee Christine Bzdil, a former special education teacher and administrator. The Bolivar-Richburg Central School District in New York promoted the principal of its high school/middle school, Jeffrey Margeson, to superintendent.

More new hires

• Bryan Allen, Clyde CISD (Texas)
• Angelo “Frankie” Alvarado, Douglas County School District (Nevada)
• Kristine Martin, Washington Local Schools (Ohio)
• Kelly McClain, Litchfield CUSD #12 (Illinois)
• Vito J. Perrone, Hampshire Regional School District (Massachusetts)
• Patrick Sánchez, Live Oak School District (California)
• Julianna Stocking, Merced City School District (California)
• Anthony Stretar, Black River Local Schools (Ohio)
• Rick West, Bloomfield Hills Schools (Michigan)

Superintendent turnover: Departures

• Vilicia Cade has resigned as CEO and superintendent of the Capital School District (Delaware).
• April Childers will retire from Rabun County Schools (Georgia) on Sept. 30.
• Michael Daniels is retiring from the Canon-McMillan School District (Pennsylvania) after holding the position for 13 years.
• Kim Kellison has resigned as superintendent of the Winston-Dillard School District (Oregon) to become interim superintendent of the Silver Falls School District.
• Heather Luznak was fired as superintendent of New Lothrop Area Public Schools (Michigan), WJRT ABC 12 reported.

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Keith Posley resigned as superintendent of Milwaukee Public Schools after having led the district since 2018. Posley stepped down just days after state and federal officials expressed concerns about delayed financial reporting, according to multiple news reports. A district regional superintendent, Eduardo Galvan, was immediately named interim leader.

On the hiring front, Kimberlee Armstrong was named superintendent of Portland Public Schools in Oregon. Armstrong is currently deputy superintendent of Evergreen Public Schools in Vancouver, Washington. Armstrong previously served as chief academic officer in Portland and as an administrator in Santa Rosa City Schools and the Tamalpais Union High School District in California.

Springfield Public Schools in Massachusetts has picked former employee Sonia Dinnall as its first female superintendent. Dinnall—a lifelong resident of the city and graduate of the district—is now chief of family and community engagement for the Springfield Empowerment Zone Partnership and previously served as a principal in Springfield Public Schools and an administrator in Hartford Public Schools in Connecticut.

Also in Oregon, the Tigard-Tualatin School District chose its next superintendent, Iton-Etok O Udosenata, now a deputy superintendent with the Salem-Keizer School District. In Ohio, the Stow-Munroe Falls City School District appointed Felisha Gould as its next superintendent. Gould is currently an assistant superintendent at Cleveland Heights-University Heights City Schools.

The North Shore School District 112 in Illinois has picked its first Latina superintendent, Monica Schroeder, who has worked for the Chicago-area school system for nearly two decades. Ava Tasker-Mitchell, formerly an administrator in Prince George’s County Public Schools, has been chosen to lead Somerset County Public Schools in the same state.

‘Talking Out of School’ podcast: The principalship requires student-centered leadership

In New York’s Greece Central School District, no sooner did longtime Superintendent Kathleen Graupman announce she would resign on Jan. 1 than the district looked within to hire her replacement, Deputy Superintendent Jeremy Smalline, who has been with the district since 2005. And in Ohio’s Portsmouth City School District has hired its next leader, Matthew McCorkle, a longtime administrator and former superintendent of Washington Court House City Schools.

More new hires

• Jason Bing, South Orange & Maplewood School District (New Jersey)
• Tracy Curley, Fall River Public Schools (Massachusetts)
• William F. Dupere, Bedford County Schools (Virginia)
• Michelle Helie, Chattooga County School District (Georgia)
• Amy Irwin, Barren County Schools (Kentucky)
• Joseph Monastero, Cold Spring Harbor Central School District (New York)
• Timothy Mitzel, Littlestown Area School District (Pennsylvania)
• Michael Podraza, South Kingstown School District (Rhode Island)
• James Rook, East Palestine City Schools (Ohio)
• Scott Salow, Addison Community Schools (Michigan)
• Karri Schiavone, Holley Central School District (New York)
• Misty Slavic, Auburn Enlarged City School District (New York)
• Kim Spacek, West Bonner School District (Idaho)

Superintendent turnover: Departures

The following superintendents are leaving their districts:

• The East Stroudsburg Area School District (Pennsylvania) is parting ways with Superintendent William Riker, the Pocono Record reported.
• Superintendent Anna Shepherd has announced her retirement from Floyd County Schools (Kentucky)
• Superintendent Tom Wilson is retiring from the Watson Chapel School District (Arkansas)

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Although the past decade’s sharp decline in teacher preparation programs seems to be finally leveling out, districts are still scrambling for ways to avoid an interruption in quality education for their students. Many are forced into settling for quick fixes like hiring long-term substitute teachers or combining students into larger classes, but temporary solutions like these can actually have serious long-term negative effects.

Substitute teachers, while a crucial part of our educational system, often lack the depth of content knowledge and ongoing professional development to offer the same quality instruction as a certified teacher. Large class sizes can create student disengagement and feelings of alienation, as well as make it difficult for the teacher to provide individualized attention.

Superintendent turnover: Frenzy of moves as school year ends

Schools may feel that these are the best of all available options, however, studies show that it can take up to three to four years of high-quality instruction for students to recover fully from a single year of poor teaching.

Unfortunately, the districts hit hardest by the teacher vacancies are those located in areas of high poverty, those with a high minority population and those in rural areas like ours. Lacking an abundance of financial resources means we must work together to think outside the box and explore non-traditional avenues, keeping an open mind to new ideas that can help train, retain and encourage both new and veteran teachers and staff.

Here are three strategies our district has used to not only keep our classrooms up and running, but deliver the high quality education our students deserve:

Tap into edtech

Technology in the classroom can offer a sustainable and scalable solution for teacher shortages in many ways. This year our district adopted Elevate K-12, an interactive live teaching platform, which significantly mitigated the impact of our teacher shortage. Classes are led by certified teachers, experienced and prepared to build relationships with students, while a classroom “coach” is physically on-site in the room to ensure students stay on-task and offer in-person support as needed.

This format can also be useful to districts looking to expand core course offerings and electives, offer test prep, career readiness skill development, summer school and small group instruction in areas like special education or enrichment.

Combining virtual teaching with in-person support creates a blended learning environment that ensures that our students receive consistent, high-quality education even in times of teacher vacancies.

Partner up

Many schools employ a large number of classified staff who have already earned an associates or even bachelor’s degree in a field other than education. Creating a mutually beneficial partnership with a local college or university’s teacher preparation program can allow these employees to become certified at a discounted rate or accelerated pace, creating a long-term solution for the school and career opportunity for the employee.

Classified staff have been an important resource for our district as they are ready equipped with a strong skill set for classroom work and are already familiar with our educational approach and team culture. We’ve created partnerships with colleges and universities on both the local and state levels to transition several of our classified staff into certified educator roles.

Retention vs. recruitment

With 86% of public schools struggling to hire educators, it’s crucial that we focus on investing in our people to reduce attrition rates. When budgets are a challenge, districts must explore innovative, non-monetary strategies, continually working to create an environment where teachers feel supported, heard and valued.

In our district, we developed teams with a mixture of new and veteran teachers who offer each other guidance, support, resources and best practices. We also work to create strong connections between our administrators and classroom teachers, taking a collaborative approach to decision-making processes related to curriculum, school policies and classroom management.

Addressing teacher vacacnies requires more than traditional solutions; it demands creativity and a willingness to reimagine how we approach education. By thinking outside the box and implementing innovative strategies, we can pave the way for a more resilient and effective educational system, ensuring that every student has access to quality teaching and a brighter future.

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The U.S. has faced recurring teacher shortages for decades, a situation exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2024, all 50 states reported teacher shortages in at least one subject area. These shortages vary significantly across states and districts, influenced by differences in pay and working conditions. However, a consistent trend is that schools serving larger numbers of low-income students and students of color—as well as subjects such as special education, mathematics and science—face the most severe shortages.

At the same time the Bureau of Labor Statistics is reporting that after-school workers grew by an average of 9% and that this workforce is on track to continue to grow over the next five years. Some explanations for this growth might include ESSER summer learning requirements and a low unemployment rate. Lower unemployment rates create the need for more childcare services for working families.

‘Talking Out of School’ podcast: Sandy Hook Promise’s Nicole Hockley on to spotting students who need help

As school leaders, we grow talent, which then grows student learning gains. And that talent growth leads to upward mobility in our communities. One of our best under-tapped resources are staff who work in out-of-school time (OST). According to the Afterschool Alliance, these are professional staff that often reside in the neighbors surrounding our schools. They may also have their own children enrolled in the school, making program quality a personal priority.

Whether you are a principal, HR leader or superintendent, what steps can you take to begin ‘growing your own’ from the OST pipeline?

1. Arrange for time with the OST Director. Ask them about program quality and whether or not the OST program has engaged in a program quality assessment (PQA). Talk with them about their staff. The OST director recruits, hires and trains diverse staff members who already work closely with students and families. Ask them, who are the natural program leaders? What are their future plans?
2. Set up time to do an OST walk together. Notice the quality of the program. Is there a link between the instructional day and after school beyond “homework time”? Are there enrichment activities that the students are responding to? Who is leading those activities? Those are the people you want to talk with.
3. Talk to OST staff that you and the director agree might be interested in expanding their professional practice into the school day as a teacher or other professional. Make arrangements for that person to spend time in a school day setting by pairing them up with a teacher leader on campus.
4. If they’re interested, develop a short-term support plan to connect that person with your school system’s transition to teaching program. Make time to check in with them and the OST director on their progress.
5. If possible, consider monetary incentives to boost their pay. Retaining OST staff poses its own challenges. Most staff report lower pay as a primary reason for leaving the job. Investing in a professional growth plan that includes compensation is a win/win for these staff who work with students for more hours per day than in-school time staff.

OST connections to the school day are powerful. These connections offer not only extensions of learning and enrichment, they offer a potential pipeline of high-quality future teachers. We recommend these five steps to encourage collaboration with OST directors, evaluate program quality and engage all OST staff.

It may even lead to your next new teacher, one with community understanding and prior experience in working directly with your students, ultimately enhancing student learning and community well-being.

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In a poll conducted by McGraw-Hill in the U.S. and 18 other countries, more than half of educators (57% ) said that issues at home, insufficient family support and other external influences are the “largest obstacles to student success.”

Consequently, misbehavior, mental health struggles and students not being prepared for grade-level work also interfere with learning in the regions covered by the survey: North America, Northern Europe, Latin America, Asia and the Middle East.

Superintendent turnover: Dozens of new hires and 6 departures

When asked how to improve student success, the top three answers were: increasing funding for education, raising teacher pay and better training and support for educators.

Teachers are testing AI

Teachers are also looking for ways that AI can enhance their craft though some worry the rapidly advancing technology may harm students. AI’s two biggest benefits, each cited by about two-thirds of the respondents, are saving time on administrative tasks and personalizing learning more precisely for each student. But even more teachers, over 70%, want more guidance on AI and say its impacts are “unknown.”

Overall, about 40% of educators say AI has been beneficial while just 19% believe it has had a negative impact. Teachers’ biggest concerns are cheating and that AI could hinder students’ critical thinking, memory and social skills, the survey found.

The three biggest barriers to edtech implementation cited by teachers are: High costs of purchasing the technology (47%); lack of time to implement and train educators on how to use the technology effectively (38%); and “Data privacy concerns” (34%).

Here’s what else global educators said in the poll:

• 32% use generative AI, such as ChatGPT; 80% have already used it or expect to.
• 48% would trust the accuracy of information students get from generative AI.
• 48% don’t trust the accuracy of generative AI information or trust it only slightly.
• 72% believe their school needs to provide more guidance on the use of emerging technology.

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In Kentucky, Superintendent Bill Thorpe is leaving Trigg County Public Schools to lead Marshall County Schools, a district where he was previously an administrator. Warren Consolidated Schools in Michigan has chosen its next superintendent, John C. Bernia, currently chief of Walled Lake Consolidated School District.

Superintendent CJ Cammack is moving to the San Ramon Valley Unified School District in California after leading Fremont USD since 2020. Cammack also served as superintendent of Martinez USD in the San Francisco Bay Area. Mark Moring, currently Superintendent of Davis Public Schools in Oklahoma, will helm the Durant Independent School District in the same state.

Read more from DA: The highest-paying states for teachers in 2024

First-time superintendent Ashley Whitely will take the reins at Lakota Local Schools in Ohio after serving as an assistant superintendent at Wyoming City Schools since 2018. She was formerly an administrator at Lakota East High School.

Justin Ainsworth has been selected to lead the Coos Bay School District in Oregon, his hometown, after having been the associate superintendent in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District in Alaska. Ainsworth was briefly hired as the superintendent of North Thurston Public Schools in Washington. The Auburn Union School District in Northern California has hired Brittaney Meyer as its next superintendent. She is currently the assistant superintendent of educational services in the Loomis Union School District.

Union County Public Schools in Kentucky has tapped Terra Hancock as its next superintendent. Hancock, currently the assistant superintendent of secondary instruction and director of pupil personnel, has served the district for 19 years as a teacher, counselor, principal and administrator. And in Ohio, Copley-Fairlawn City Schools has named Assistant Superintendent Aimee Kirsch its next leader.

More new hires

• William Bentz, Harrison County School District (Mississippi)
• Brian Burnight, Charles City Community School District (Iowa)
• Robert Fountain, Alexandria Central School District
• Mike Hilmer, Bellevue Community School District (Iowa)
• Adam Johnson, New York Mills Public School (Minnesota)
• David Keibler, Leechburg Area School District (Pennsylvania)
• Dana Pedersen, Columbia Gorge Education Service District (Oregon)
• Sherry Richards, Higley Unified School District (Arizona)
• Matthew Quick, Muenster ISD (Texas)
• Ronald Rasmussen, Wisconsin Rapids Public Schools (Wisconsin)
• Boyd West, Stone County School District (Mississippi)

Superintendent turnover: 5 retirements

Several superintendents have in recent weeks announced plans to step down:

• Yvonne Curtis is retiring from the South Lane School District (Oregon)
• Michael Daniels is retiring from the Canon-McMillan School District (Pennsylvania).
• Laura Hebert will not renew her contract at the Ravenna School District (Ohio).
• Shannon LaFargue will retire from Calcasieu Parish Public Schools (Louisiana) this summer.
• Nikki Woodson will retire from Washington Township Schools (Indiana) at the end of the 2024-25 school year.

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In 2023, an estimated 23% of teachers left the profession. They left for various reasons, but many reported needing better working conditions. Nearly 75% of teachers who leave say there is too much work and not enough teachers to carry the workload. This is one of the many reasons why it’s essential to have systems in place to support and celebrate teachers.

Every year, teachers get some much-deserved recognition during Teacher Appreciation Week (May 6–10 in 2024). Parents, administrators and students shower teachers with gifts, food and appreciative notes, which is nice. Still, there’s so much more administrators can do to make teachers feel appreciated throughout the year. Some of these ideas are quick fixes, but others require more thoughtful planning, so administrators can use the summer to plan how to implement them effectively.

1. Listen to (and act on) teachers’ ideas.

Teachers are full of great ideas. A smart way to start a new year is to survey teachers to determine what professional development topics would be of value to them. Then, offer options like eBooks and other flexible options for learning.

Another way to give teachers the opportunity to share their thoughts is to promote and actively use an open-door policy for teachers to share ideas that may benefit students, faculty and the community. To put this into practice, consider planning casual meetups where small groups of teachers can share their insights and suggestions.

Get these dates on the calendar and provide snacks and coffee to make the environment open and friendly. Listen more than you speak and take detailed notes about what teachers want to see implemented in their schools and classrooms. Lastly, make sure that these ideas are given due consideration—otherwise these meetings lose their impact.

2. Give teachers a duty coverage ‘hall pass.’

Teachers work an average of 53 hours per week, with estimates that a quarter of those hours are uncompensated. These uncompensated work hours can include after-hours planning, grading and lengthy meetings. Then there are daily duties that quickly snowball.

Read more from DA: The highest-paying states for teachers in 2024

To acknowledge this unpaid work (and give teachers a little break), consider handing out duty coverage “hall passes” that teachers can cash in to have someone else cover supervisory duties such as recess or lunch monitoring. This will require maintaining a shared calendar to ensure administrators, central office employees, school board members or other volunteers can step in. But this can be a great way to give teachers some time back while acknowledging the unseen work they do throughout the year.

3. Get creative with fundraising for supplies.

School budgets are tight but not as tight as teachers’ personal budgets. And yet, 94% of teachers spend at least some of their own money on school supplies for their students, some up to $750. It’s worth finding other ways to raise funds for supplies.

Start by organizing supply lists based on subjects to see which areas have the most need. Get the PTA to drive fundraisers for specific supplies, such as science equipment or e-readers. And of course, ask for input from teachers to make sure fundraising efforts go to the right place.

4. Create a public praise board.

Teachers who feel recognized and valued are more likely to be engaged at work, stay at their school, and have higher satisfaction scores from parents and students. Many administrators know the power of positive feedback, yet few have a praise plan in place. According to a recent Gallup survey, only 25% of teachers strongly agreed that they had received recognition or praise for their work within the last week.

Administrators can change this by creating a praise board where students, staff, and parents can share notes highlighting the fantastic work your teachers are doing. Make it bright, colorful, big, and prominently placed in a high-traffic area, such as the office, teachers’ lounge, or cafeteria. Read from the board before staff meetings to publicly acknowledge your teachers’ great work.

5. Don’t forget the treats.

While teachers will surely appreciate systems and policies that empower them, like everyone, they also love snacks and caffeine. Instead of reserving treats for Teacher Appreciation Week, why not make them a monthly thing?

Ask your PTA to get parent volunteers to roll a trolley full of hot coffee, tea, pastries, fruit and other goodies around to classrooms so teachers can enjoy them between classes. Contact local coffee shops, bakeries and grocery stores for donations. Many would be more than happy to donate treats in exchange for a social media shout-out (and a tax write-off).

6. Get teachers time-saving resources.

Teachers need two main things from administrators: support and time. Fortunately, many tools are available to support all the teachers in your district, helping to minimize costs and maximize opportunities for teachers to learn from each other.

It is well worth the investment for school administrators to provide time-saving and stress-reducing resources that help support teachers in all aspects of their professional development. Teachers also need time to set up their rooms in August and they need planning time all year long. Offering more unencumbered planning time—and protecting this time by canceling meetings when the agenda is light—are gifts that will keep on giving to teachers and students for years to come.

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