Author Archives: Sandy Wozniak

Retention – it seems to be on everyone’s radar these days – and with good reason.  Existing staff shortages, early retirements and potential resignations have us all thinking about ways to hold on to the staff that we have.  There are a lot of great ideas out there about how to go about accomplishing this – the “Do’s”.  These offer many helpful ways to approach the issues, increase teacher satisfaction, etc.  But part of the puzzle involves not doing things that make the problem worse.  Let’s look at some of the “Don’ts” – those things to avoid as we address retention.

Don’t – Avoid going to the source – the ones who can speak most eloquently about why they are leaving are the ones who are leaving.  It can be tempting to avoid “bad news” or frustration, but this information provides a wealth of useful data that can be used to take action moving forward.   Is there an existing process for finding out why they have left and what might have made them stay?

Don’t – Create more work for people – it may be an honor to be selected to sit on a task force, provide input on a critical problem, etc., but the reality is that these responsibilities and requests get added to an already overflowing plate.  People can resent these ways to contribute as they struggle to just stay on top of day-to-day activities.  Given that getting their input is essential, in what ways can you mitigate the extra burden or incent their involvement?

Don’t – Neglect the people who are not leaving – most of your workforce is not resigning (although it might sometimes feel otherwise).  What can we learn from them?  They are the ones in the trenches who have timely, accurate information and experiences – what makes them stay?  What would make their jobs easier?  What would they like to see changed?  How can we make sure they feel appreciated and valued?

Don’t – Generalize or rely only on others’ experience from other schools and districts – certainly there are things to learn from other districts, schools, departments, etc.   But a targeted solution requires that you really understand what is happening around retention in your district, school, or department – and why.  Doing that requires embracing the data – taking a good hard look at the reality and knowing what is and is not working for people.  You must involve stakeholders in the problem solving.  If you don’t, you’ve missed a golden opportunity – and any solutions risk being seen as off-base, out of touch, or top-down (and thus potentially lacking in credibility and support).

All districts have a unique set of experiences

Each school and district needs to grapple with their own experience of staff shortages and what is contributing to them.  Process tools like TregoED’s Situation Appraisal, Problem Analysis, etc. can help you collect, sort, and analyze data to help define and develop solutions to the problem.  As Aristotle said, “A problem well-defined is half-solved.”  We can borrow and tailor ideas from other districts about effective ways to address it, but we can also intentionally avoid doing things which either exacerbate the problem or miss the mark. Increasing retention is a complex problem that can be hard to wrap our heads around – but like all big problems, it is easier to deal with when we clearly define it and understand it, involve stakeholders and get creative about how to address it.

We don’t need TikTok’s “Quit-Tok” videos to know that the Great Resignation is upon us.  You don’t have to look further than your office, classroom, or boardroom to know people are exhausted and frustrated.   A recent survey by the National Association of Secondary School Principals indicated that job satisfaction is at an ultimate low with almost 4 out of 10 principals (38%) expecting to leave the profession in the next three years.

In addition:

• 68% of principals report being concerned about the teacher shortage in the 2021-22 school year, with 41% reporting they are “extremely concerned.”
• Similarly, 68% are concerned about educator burnout, with 44% reporting they are “extremely concerned.”

How can we address these issues to reduce the effects of staff shortages, resignations, and burnout? As we move forward through these turbulent times, we need to continually assess and ask ourselves these questions:

How are we caring for those who are still here?

Most employees have not left – but they are definitely bearing the brunt of the vacancies – be they daily absences or resignations.  It’s so easy to get so focused on who’s leaving and where there are shortages, that we forget to take care of those who have stayed.  How can we better embrace the folks that are still here and let them know they matter? Communication, a clear sense of direction, empathy and appreciation are universal needs of all staff and can provide the support that they need to thrive and grow.

How are we handling that which we can control?

Teachers and principals cite “lack of administrative support” as the #1 reason they leave.  We have no control over COVID, mandates, market conditions, etc. – but we do have control over the department/school/district culture and environment we create.  Why give people additional reasons to go?  We need to create a culture that people don’t want to leave.  A positive, supportive culture and community makes it harder to say goodbye.

Are people overworked in some ways and underutilized in other important ways?

By far the most overlooked and underutilized resource is the thinking power of our people. Just 27% of Principals “strongly agree” that their district appropriately consulted them about how to use COVID-relief financial aid for their school. By engaging people in addressing problems and decisions, schools and districts have access to better solutions.  When organizations fail to do this, they “leave silver in the mine” (as Ben Franklin would say).  Ken Blanchard, organization and leadership expert once said, “Remember, all the brains are not at the top of the organization.” Although no leader would ever disagree – sometimes their practices do not reflect this belief. Let’s harness that brain power for important the important decisions and problem solving ahead.

Are we avoiding avoidable problems?

So much that has happened over the past 2 years could not have been anticipated.  It can feel like a never-ending stream of new, emerging, and repeated challenges.  But we don’t need to make it worse with ill-conceived decisions or poorly implemented solutions.  In the midst of turbulent times, the last thing we need or can afford is to compound our problems.

Actions that can prevent problems, like reducing workloads, increasing autonomy or increasing mentorships discussed in this recent article, 5 Ways for School Leaders to Reduce Teacher Burnout, can go a long way in reducing teacher OR leadership burnout. These strategies which can be strategically planned for using Potential Problem Analysis can work for all staff members.

If we have learned anything from the last two years, it is that there are no easy answers or magic bullets.  However, we have also learned how incredibly capable, resilient, adaptable, and ingenious people can be.  Asking the right questions can help you find ways to give people the tools and support that they need to cultivate those capabilities to prevent burnout and future resignations.