Teacher Recruitment and Retention

Against the backdrop of a nationwide teacher shortage, many school districts are struggling to attract and retain teachers. This research brief outlines strategies used by six public school districts to increase teacher recruitment and boost teacher retention.

This brief first explores how profiled districts recruit teachers using a variety of incentive and outreach strategies to engage a broader and more diverse applicant pool. Following that, the report profiles strategies districts engage to retain their top talent. Download the full report or read the key takeaways below.

Partner with local higher education institutions for direct recruiting networks and continuing education opportunities

All profiled districts highlighted establishing partnerships with local colleges and universities as one of their most common recruitment strategies. These partnerships enable districts to hire education majors and recruit student teachers into full-time positions.

District E partners with a nearby university to place student teachers in cohorts of four or five individuals in hard-to-staff schools. District D partners with local universities as well as community colleges with education programs to create a reliable pipeline of student teacher placements. District A and District B partner with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in their state to attract candidates more representative of their student populations.

Offer sign-on bonuses and stipends where possible

Three profiled districts leverage sign-on bonuses as a component of their teacher recruitment strategies. District E offers sign-on bonuses for all newly hired teachers to encourage recruitment. These bonuses are higher for harder-to-fill positions (e.g., secondary math, world languages, and career technical education) and for Title I schools in the district.

Implement “stay interviews” to formalize consistent teacher feedback loops

Similar to exit interviews in the information gathered, stay interviews take place earlier in the year and generally target high-performing employees who have not yet expressed an interest in leaving. These interviews act as a preventative measure, or a “pulse check,” to gather information on what is going well and what potential pain points exist. Stay interviews are designed to provide an intentional step between employee dissatisfaction and employee disengagement, making them an effective retention strategy.

Recognize the importance of teacher morale and its impact on retention

Teacher morale directly affects teacher retention (i.e., if a teacher is not happy, they will not stay in their role) and thus districts should consider addressing teacher morale as a strategy to promote teacher retention. To effectively address teacher morale, districts should establish a teacher morale momentum loop to diagnose the causes of teacher morale deficits, prioritize the threats to teacher morale, and co-design solutions alongside teachers.