Recruitment and Retention

Our framework offers a tailored approach to re-envisioning teacher professional learning programs to create success in underserved schools. 

The Center on Great Teachers and Leaders is collaborating with national partners and leading educators to produce an ongoing webinar series focused on the needs of educators during this unprecedented time.

Support teacher wellness under COVID-19 by understanding teacher stress levels in various contexts. 

In early 2019, the Hawaii Department of Education and the East Hawaii Complex Area partnered with the GTL Center to use data from their mentoring and induction system to assess the quality and conditions for retaining teachers in high-need schools. Although the state administered a sophisticated statewide induction system and survey, they recognized a need for more targeted support for high-need schools.

The GTL Center now offers two new toolkits to support states and districts in identifying both short-term and long-term evidence-based strategies to address teacher shortages in special education while finding effective ways to diversify the educator workforce. The GTL Center and its partners at the CEEDAR Center and the Learning Policy Institute will provide an overview of the toolkits and answer participants’ questions about how the tools can be applied in your own state, district, preparation program, or school.

Since 2017, the GTL Center, Midwest Comprehensive Center, and the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction have collaborated to support the development of new educator career pathways in the state, particularly through “grow-your-own” programs. In partnership with local districts and educator preparation programs, three regional councils have been established across the state to strengthen educator talent pipelines in high-need urban and rural areas. Presenters will share new resources developed through the regional councils and reflect on lessons learned.

This policy snapshot, published by the Education Commission of the States, provides a state-by-state comparison of recent legislation aimed to support targeted recruitment and retention of teachers in specific subjects (e.g., science, math, special education) and types of schools (e.g., urban, rural, high-poverty). The report highlights exemplar states’ efforts to target recruitment for educators and adequately prepare them to teach certain subjects or populations, as opposed to general recruitment efforts that often fall short for high-need subjects or specializations.

This brief, written by the Education Commission of the States, examines the necessity of strong school leadership and lists steps states can take to ensure that all schools have effective leaders. Key areas addressed in the brief are: school leadership standards, recruitment, preparation design and program approval, certification and licensure, mentoring, induction, and professional development, evaluation and ongoing support. The brief also provides additional state policy considerations and corresponding examples.