Understanding the reasons can help leaders boost recruitment and retention, says Carol Patton, DA HR columnist.

School districts apply different approaches to professional development and support educators to encourage excellence and retention, says Carol Patton, DA HR Matters columnist.

Like many employers, Great Falls Public Schools in Montana was confronted by soaring health care costs for its 1,900 employees serving students in preschool through high school. So last year, the district, which offers a self-insured group health plan, opened on-site clinics at two schools, says Kerry Dattilo, HR director. A third clinic is planned […]

Twice a month, board of director members for Topeka Public Schools in Kansas spend the first 20 minutes of their board meetings celebrating the district's diverse culture and employee accomplishments. "We highlight employees and their achievements, and acknowledge our diverse community," says Tiffany Anderson, superintendent at TPS, a district that supports roughly 3,000 teachers and […]

Every month, Tiffany Anderson, superintendent at Topeka Public Schools in Kansas, emails the district's 3,000 teachers and staff, asking whether anyone needs time off for either professional development or something else that's quite unusual—self-care. "We have self-care space in our schools and some office buildings where the lights are low, and people can have time […]

Lack of resources. Tight deadlines. Inadequate training. These scenarios can trigger anxiety, frustration or other negative emotions at public schools. "I felt all of these things" says Chett Daniel, a former fourth-grade ELA teacher at Neosho School District in Missouri. Daniel quit teaching last year to launch his own consulting firm, K12 HR Solutions. "Often, […]

Whether it results from misinformation, staff complaints or faculty disagreements about new policies, all districts face employee issues. Some have learned better than others how to address problems early, before they erupt. "In large districts, there's more opportunity for a communication breakdown" says Jeff Filloon, HR director at Chandler USD in Arizona. "Most problems can […]