Supporting Teachers Through Demographic Changes

School districts throughout the country serve increasingly diverse students. Many districts have implemented initiatives to support these new student populations, but face confusion or resistance as supporting teachers through demographic changes is not as prioritized.

Districts can support teachers during periods of demographic shift with strategies to improve communications with teachers, steps to engage teachers in new student support initiatives, and suggestions to help build and maintain a positive district culture.

Demographic changes at profiled districts

We contacted administrators at districts that have experienced recent changes to student demographics. All profiled districts began specific initiatives to serve new student populations.

District leadership and direction

Use existing research to demonstrate to teachers their potential to impact new student groups. In addition, clearly communicate rationale for changes to reduce push-back and receive more effective feedback—a clear line of communication from the superintendent to teachers is imperative.

To tailor communications, consider creating teams to package information for teachers at each campus. The teams consist of the school principal, the math and English specialists, and select specialist teachers and general education teachers. The team’s goal is to deliver the information to teachers in an actionable and stress-free communication. These teams allow staff to tailor communications from district administrators to the specific needs of their campus, which contacts report improves the transmission of district-level information to teachers.

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initiatives should be focused on at one time to avoid teachers’ change fatigue

Engaging teachers

To increase engagement with initiatives, involve teachers in the process to select new initiatives. Allowing teachers to participate in the process achieves buy-in among teachers for those decisions. For some teachers who seem to always respond negatively to changes, district leaders should still concentrate efforts on engaged teachers, rather than using resources to attempt to convert small but resistant groups of staff. Reluctant teachers will begin to show interest in initiatives as engaged teachers begin to experience success with them.

Building a positive culture

District and school leaders are responsible for district and school culture, respectively. While leaders cannot change which students enroll at the district, they can foster positivity among staff. Specifically, leaders must establish positive relationships with staff to foster positive district.

Consider hosting a job-swap activity to increase empathy among administrators and staff. This activity gives administrators an opportunity to experience what their staff do daily. It also provides an opportunity for staff to establish relationships with administrators who they may not meet otherwise. Contacts at the profiled district explain that both administrators and staff enjoy the activity because it encourages a sense of community and togetherness that contributes to the district’s positive culture.

All staff submit their names for a drawing.

Each district administrator draws one name.

Administrators assume staffs’ responsibilities for one day.