"Everybody has a role in being part of our kid's lives here while they're in the school," says Sham Bevel, a principal in Virginia Beach. "[Kids] want to be here. They know we care."
Teacher retention grants and other forms of recruitment assistance are available from state and federal agencies and a wide range of other sources. Here's how K12 leaders are deploying the funds.
K12 leaders looking to form closer connections with parents, families and communities should think of their outreach efforts as a blend of one- and two-way communications.
California's forthcoming Master Plan on Career Education will, among other steps, help incoming high school students begin exploring well-compensated careers—including professions that don't require college degrees.
San Antonio ISD in Texas is on the verge of closing 15% of its schools. Jackson Public Schools in Mississippi may shutter a dozen buildings. Grand Rapids Public Schools in Michigan is considering 10 closures.
The most effective solutions start long before a student begins thinking about committing self-harm, says Brandy Samuell, a former K12 administrator who is now director of product management at eLuma, a teletherapy provider.
This fall in Tucson, teacher shortages and superintendent longevity were top of mind but so were issues—such as test scores—that haven't been getting as much attention as of late.
The key to improving student outcomes is helping educators find a comfortable place to start working toward big goals, says Danny Mendez, Indiana's Principal of the Year. "This is the one profession that helps create all the other professions. It's being a storyteller about our kids—who they are, what they need, what they want to be and what their dreams are."
