This week's analysis by Burbio reveals just how districts are addressing issues related to K12 staffing. The most frequently discussed topic may or may not surprise you.
Low pay and heavy workloads may be the leading drags on teacher job satisfaction but principals, superintendents and other administrators can also help educators find ways to improve their outlooks by, for instance, sending a short letter of gratitude to a colleague.
"Assistant principals are uniquely positioned to effect meaningful change in schools, making them a critical piece of a successful school community," said National Assn. of Elementary School Principals Executive Director L. Earl Franks after the NAESP named the 27 National Outstanding Assistant Principals of 2023.
District Administration senior writer Matt Zalaznick was there as the superintendents, who represented 21 states, beseeched leaders to provide more financial and political support for mental health services, teacher preparation and retention, and English learners.
Thanks to an anonymous donor, Holland Public Schools will offer 10 teachers $25,000 each year to help purchase a house within the district as long as they commit to teaching there for five years.
"Our focus turned from educational leader to a position of protector of public education," says Dave Wick, superintendent of Columbia Falls School District 6 and president of the Montana Association of School Superintendents.
"It's just next to impossible to stop someone," George Grant, a leader with the Nashville Presbytery connected to The Covenant School, told AP News regarding intruders wielding high-powered assault rifles.
Here's the narrative: Burned-out teachers are bolting the profession for more satisfying and lucrative jobs in the private sector. But research in one state may reveal an arguably more concerning outcome.
Early planning for both postsecondary and career pathways can not only save time and money in the long run, but can also give students ample opportunity to discover their interests and strengths.
Schools are spending hundreds of thousands of dollars and countless hours of staff labor to process these requests from parents who are cracking down on discussions they deem inappropriate in a classroom environment.
