Strategies to Strengthen the Teacher Workforce

The future of education depends on how well we invest in the people who deliver it. In today’s rapidly evolving educational landscape shaped by AI, digital tools, and shifting learner needs, upskilling our teachers and staff isn't optional; it's foundational. Here are some best practices we’ve found effective: ✅ Make professional development continuous, not episodic Ongoing, embedded learning (coaching, microlearning, PLCs) leads to sustainable growth, far more than one-off workshops. ✅ Leverage technology with intentionality Train staff not just how to use tools, but why, focusing on outcomes like engagement, accessibility, and personalization. ✅ Center learning on real classroom challenges Professional development must connect to what educators face daily. Relevance breeds retention and motivation. ✅ Create a culture of learning at every level When leaders model curiosity and openness to growth, it cascades throughout the organization. ✅ Elevate educator voice and agency Upskilling works best when teachers co-design their learning journeys and feel ownership of their development. What strategies are working in your schools or organizations? I’d love to hear your insights. 👇 #K12 #EdLeadership #TeacherDevelopment #LifelongLearning #ProfessionalGrowth #FutureOfEducation

Great teachers don’t leave because they don’t love the work. They leave because they’re exhausted, undervalued, and out of growth opportunities. If you want to keep your top talent, you have to prove they have a future at your school. Here’s how: 1. Give them real leadership roles. Stop handing your best teachers more work without giving them actual influence. Let them lead PD. Have them mentor new teachers. Pay them for it. 2. Don't waste their time. Cut the pointless meetings. Protect their planning periods. Give them room to teach instead of drowning them in admin work. 3. Make their impact visible. Publicly celebrate what they do best. Feature their classrooms in walkthroughs. Show them they’re shaping the school, not just surviving in it. 4. Pay them like they matter. If another district is offering $5K more, don’t assume they’ll stay for the “culture.” Find a way to make compensation competitive. Or at least acknowledge the gap and offer what you can. 5. Build a school they don’t want to leave. Teachers stay where they feel supported, challenged, and surrounded by people who make them better. 6. Invest in their development. Don't just ignore them. Observe them. Offer development opportunities externally that they might not have access to internally. Top talent isn’t loyal to a school. They’re loyal to the people in it. And the reality is if you don’t invest in them, someone else will. What else are you doing to keep great teachers at your school? --- We at Simply Great Schools help schools create spaces that retain their top talent so they can deliver an excellent education for all kids. Check out all the ways we can help at our website.

(8/8) “Louisiana has a teacher shortage, and we know what can be done to make it better. If you pay teachers more and give them a better standard of living and smaller class sizes, teachers are more willing to stay in the profession. We know that's the fix, but we know that's not what our politicians are doing, and so we have to come up with our own ways to try to figure it out. There's a program called Reach University that offers districts an opportunity for the people who work in their classrooms to become teachers. It gives paraprofessionals and aides a pathway who wouldn't otherwise have one, because colleges are expensive, or they're working full time, or they have kids. It allows them to go into a program where professors teach night classes virtually, and for an incredibly low amount of money, they can get their bachelor's degree to become teachers and increase both their income and their staying power. I’d like to see more programs like that. Teaching gives me hope in ways that nothing else does. Teaching younger people and seeing that they're passionate, and they're ready to make changes and they're ready to work hard, is incredibly motivating.” –Chris Dier Teacher at Ben Franklin High School New Orleans New Orleans, LA #teachersintheirpower #teaching #careerpathways #teacherretention teachersintheirpower.com

🚨Strengthening the Texas Teacher Pipeline: A Call for Regional Collaboration🚨 House Bill 2 has launched the Preparing and Retaining Educators Through Partnership Preservice (PREPP) Program, an ambitious statewide initiative aimed at revitalizing Texas’s teacher workforce. Through strategic partnerships between Educator Preparation Programs (EPPs) and school districts, this initiative provides practice-based pathways into the teaching profession—ranging from traditional to residency-based and alternative certification models. 🎯 Why it matters: With districts across Texas facing certified teacher shortages, PREPP offers a real opportunity to address local staffing needs by providing structured support, paid classroom experience, and robust mentorship for future educators. 💰 What's in it for districts? The program will include stipends of up to $10,000 for teacher candidates, up to $2,000 for cooperating teachers, and up to $2,000 for district discretionary use, helping to both attract and retain high-quality educator candidates. 💰 What's in it for EPPs? The program will include up to $10,000 for candidate tuition, candidate coaching, and admin costs. In addition, at least $1,000 is allocated for mentor teachers, and up to $1,500 is available for district discretionary use, helping to both attract and retain high-quality educator candidates. 🤝 Mutually Beneficial Partnerships are essential. The path forward requires intentional collaboration among higher education institutions, school systems, and regional partners. Let’s design partnerships that are responsive to local needs, center student success, and ensure every candidate gets the mentorship and training they deserve. 📢 Your Turn: If you’re an EPP, district leader, or education advocate—how are you thinking about partnership and pipeline development this year? What innovative models are working in your region? #TexasEducation #TeacherPipeline #PREPPProgram #HB2 #EducationWorkforce #GrowYourOwn #EdPrep #RegionalCollaboration #FutureTeachers #TeacherResidency #AltCert #TASB https://lnkd.in/gfXwUAKy

Educators need -- and deserve -- 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆, 𝒃𝒆𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒓 professional learning. Matthew Kennard came to BetterLesson with rich perspective from a career spanning multiple industries. What's driven him -- and us -- is the core belief in the power of how we support individuals, how we professionalize training, is as vital in education as it is everywhere. He's talking all about it on Magic EdTech with Eric Stano ( ⏯️ link in the comments) 𝐖𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐚𝐭 𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐬 𝐝𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐣𝐨𝐛-𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐝, 𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐡-𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭, 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐰𝐞 𝐝𝐨 𝐢𝐧 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐲. High-quality professional learning has to be at the core of every K-12 district's mission to improve teaching and learning. 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭'𝐬 𝐠𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐲? The old way relied on one-off PD Day, one-size-fits-all sessions, even when adopting new curricula 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭'𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐰𝐚𝐲? ✅ data-driven approach to PL in terms of its impact and engagement ✅ ongoing, job-embedded professional support that help educators create lasting instructional change ✅ targeted, ongoing professional learning that's tailored to individual teachers’ needs and directly connected to their daily classroom experiences ✅ long-term support to help teachers effectively integrate new curricula into their classrooms and master new instructional materials ✅ instructional leaders participate actively in PL -- not only teachers

The profile of a leader is important but……. the profile of a Site Leadership Team Is Essential for School Success and Sustainability Strong principals are vital, but building a robust site leadership team of teachers is even more critical for sustainable school improvement. Here's why: 1. Principal turnover is a reality. Outstanding school leaders often advance to district roles or other opportunities, making it essential to have a stable core of teacher leaders who maintain the school's vision and momentum through transitions. I have worked with schools that have had 5 principals in the last three years. 2. Teachers are more effective at influencing their peers. When teachers see their colleagues successfully implementing new practices, they're more likely to embrace change. Peer-to-peer influence often carries more weight than top-down directives. 3. Teacher voice shapes authentic school culture. Leadership teams that include teachers ensure decisions reflect classroom realities and build genuine buy-in. When teachers lead key initiatives, implementation is more likely to succeed. 4. Teacher-led professional development builds trust and expertise. When educators learn from their colleagues who understand their daily challenges, the learning is more relevant and actionable. This peer learning model strengthens collective teacher efficacy. 5. Leadership teams develop future school leaders. By giving teachers meaningful leadership opportunities, schools create a pipeline of experienced educators ready to step into formal leadership roles. This builds capacity and sustainability within the education system. The strongest schools don't rely on a single leader – they cultivate leadership at all levels and empower teachers to drive positive change from within. *** 👋🏻 Hi I’m Danelle, I help middle leaders transform hierarchies into vibrant learning communities by leveraging Al to scale, innovate, and design new ways to learn!

According to the latest data from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), nearly 44% of teachers leave the profession within the first five years. The workload is unsustainable, with teachers juggling increased behavioral issues, administrative demands, and curriculum overload, often with little support. Burnout is no longer the exception; it’s the rule. If we want to keep talented educators in the classroom, we need systems that focus on sustainability—reducing cognitive load, simplifying routines, better pay, and supporting teacher well-being in real, tangible ways. Because no teacher can pour from an empty cup. $50,000 debt for a 5-year career? Who would do such a thing?! So what do we do? Here’s where I land: we can’t keep tinkering around the edges and hoping for the best. We need a mindset shift. We need new systems. And if you ask me, here’s where we start: 1. Predictability and Routines Aren't Optional When a kid’s amygdala is on high alert (and many are), unpredictability isn’t exciting—it’s terrifying. We need school environments that are predictable. Clear routines. Thoughtful transitions. I'm not talking about sterile clinical settings. Teachers who model calm, consistent energy. (Bruce Perry’s work in What Happened to You? nails this.) 2. Strengths, Not Deficits We’ve spent too long pathologizing kids for struggling in a system that was never built for them. It’s time to focus on their strengths. Whether you’re using UBP/NAILEP, StrengthsFinder, or just plain old healthy relationship-building, we need to start showing kids what’s right with them. As Tom Rath says, “You cannot be anything you want to be—but you can be a whole lot more of who you already are.” 3. Teacher Sustainability Is Non-Negotiable You can’t outrun burnout. We need systems and tools that make teaching sustainable—not just for the saints who want to die at their desks, but for everyone. That’s why I wrote Universal Best Practices for All Learners. Because teachers need strategies that actually work in today’s classrooms. And they need them yesterday. You got into teaching to make a difference. And you have and still can. But those outside schools need to stop pretending and telling us the job hasn’t changed. It has. And we need to change with it. We can’t keep using a playbook from 1850 - or even 2010 - for a generation that lives in 2025. We need schools that work for today’s kids and today’s teachers. And it starts with us.

Two incredible resources released today on supporting the teacher workforce from U.S. Department of Education with tactical and practical guidance about supporting this work through various funding streams and my two fav words - blending and braiding! Thanks to the partners within The Pathways Alliance who participated in many regional convenings that informed this work. Also, a special shoutout to specific callouts for Title funds to support #edtech professional development to close the digital design and digital use divides outlined in the National Education Technology Plan. Congrats to the all star team who led this work Nikki Churchwell, Mary C. Wall, Brenda Calderon, Ph.D., Victoria Hammer and many others. I see you also Maureen Tracey-Mooney! Two resources: The ESEA Title II, Part A Strategic Use of Funds non-regulatory guidance highlights how these funds can help implement strategic policies to address educator shortages and provide educators and students with what they need to thrive. This includes using these funds to support strategies related to improving compensation and working conditions, expanding pathways into the profession, providing induction and professional learning, offering educator leadership and career advancement opportunities, and promoting educator diversity.    The Supporting a Diverse Educator Workforce to Strengthen Teaching and Learning non-regulatory guidance highlights the benefits of a diverse educator workforce for all students, and particularly students of color; describes strategies for States and LEAs can take support to support their educator workforce; and highlights Federal funds available to support these efforts. https://lnkd.in/eywd8U9V