Teacher turnover is an issue affecting school districts across the country. Not only are teachers leaving the profession at higher rates, but many teachers are also moving schools and school districts. This phenomenon, called migration, accounts for half of the teacher turnover affecting schools and districts. Districts that serve higher-poverty areas are experiencing this loss the most, exacerbating the challenges faced by low-income families. Teacher recruitment and retention strategies are critical for the academic success of all students, but especially for students who need extra support.
Clayton County Schools’ Chief of Safety and Security Thomas Trawick says investments in teacher safety can be a valuable tool for marketing and recruiting because “districts are competing for the same resources. The availability is diminishing rapidly because fewer people are going into teaching. So districts have to have something in their toolbox that pulls resources from other districts,” he says.
How teacher turnover hurts students and schools
Whether a teacher leaves for a new career or a different school, the gap they leave behind is the same. Students lose the familiarity and trust that is built over time. The school has to dedicate money and resources to find a replacement. The replacement, even if they have prior teaching experience, will be unfamiliar with the new school’s students, curriculum, and practices. Staffing shortages across schools contribute to teacher burnout since teachers often have to spend their free periods covering extra classes and managing larger classes, which can increase behavior issues.
Although teachers are hugely influential on the academic success of students, they are not the only ones who build relationships with students. Turnover from general school staff is detrimental to student success as well and also affects students with the highest needs the most. Shortages of bus drivers result in students from rural and low-income areas arriving late and missing valuable learning time. English language learners and students with learning disabilities lose specialized help with a shortage of teaching assistants and health staff.
A teacher and staff recruitment strategy is important for the academic success of students. So what makes a desirable school or district for jobseekers? What staff and teacher recruitment strategies can be implemented to attract quality teachers and other school staff to their jobs?
Factors that affect staff and teacher recruitment
Teacher recruitment and retention strategies
Qualities that make a job appealing vary from person to person. But some commonalities can be found. People seek purpose, growth, and recognition in their careers, with benefits and a salary package that can support them and their families in today’s world.
Teachers are no different. Although some teachers may realize the profession is not right for them and seek a completely new career that is more suited to their skills and abilities, many teachers are heartbroken when they decide to leave the profession. They care deeply for their students and genuinely love their jobs, but the toll that the stress takes on them and their families becomes so great they feel they have no other choice. For teachers moving schools or districts rather than leaving the profession, the work environment is often the cause. School administration should look carefully at the reasons teachers are leaving and make any changes they can to recruit talented teachers to their school.
Qualities that affect a teacher’s choice in school include:
- Long-term employment
- Support from administration and school board
- Adequate materials for the classroom
- Personnel with expertise in mental and physical health episodes
- Reasonable workloads
- Manageable classroom sizes
- Safety protocols that protect themselves and their students
Teacher recruitment strategies
The top recruitment strategies focus on teachers’ physical and financial well-being, as well as their emotional and job satisfaction.
Some successful teacher recruitment strategies implemented by school districts today are:
- Leadership showing interest in candidates
- Positive stories being shared by word-of-mouth
- Upgrading school safety systems with state-of-the-art technology
Changes like investing in an upgraded school safety solution may seem too insignificant. But the financial cost of teacher turnover is astronomical. And, the price that students pay with high levels of teacher turnover is incalculable. Improving school safety and security doesn’t just help with teacher recruitment, it fosters an environment where students can feel comfortable and safe to learn. Knowing their children are protected at school gives parents peace of mind and allows teachers to focus all of their energy on educating the future.
How improved school safety solutions help teacher recruitment
Teacher recruitment and retention strategies
Although catastrophic events like school shootings and natural disasters occur more frequently than we would like, such instances are relatively scarce. However, even though a campus-wide emergency is unlikely to happen, candidates still want to see a plan in place that will effectively protect them and their students in a worst-case scenario.
Teachers are far more likely to deal with everyday incidents, including threats from parents and students, medical emergencies like a broken bone from a fall on the playground, or a student who runs away from the school. Former Police Chief for Clayton County School Districts, Thomas Trawick, stated that “not one or two, but the vast majority of teachers” reported that they feel more supported by district leadership now that they have the CrisisAlert system for everyday occurrences and extreme emergencies.
Schools can acquire a bad reputation if there are frequent incidents of fighting, misbehavior, threats, and violence. If the administration fails to respond to these incidents swiftly and effectively, the reputation will only deteriorate. It hurts teacher recruitment when teachers are warned to stay away from a particular school or district due to excessive disciplinary trouble without adequate support from administrators.
What catastrophic events and everyday events have in common is the importance of communication, lockdown alerts, and takeover notifications. Implementing an instant state-of-the-art safety solution shows teachers that they will be supported. During the interview, candidates can see that this is a school that invests in teacher safety. Supporting teachers with a school safety solution that works will increase positive word-of-mouth shared by teachers currently working for that school, attracting talented new candidates.
A school safety solution for teacher recruitment
CENTEGIX’s CrisisAlert badge is the best solution currently available to enhance school safety through instant, reliable communication. The CrisisAlert badge supports teacher recruitment strategies by enabling every teacher and staff member to trigger instantaneous contact with support personnel.
The CrisisAlert badge can seamlessly integrate with the school’s existing security measures while covering communications gaps they leave behind. Unlike a panic button or intercom, the CrisisAlert badge is always on the teacher or staff member’s person, so they can call for help from any location. This is crucial since the majority of incidents occur outside of the classroom.
The CrisisAlert badge is:
- Worn alongside teacher ID
- Easy to use
- Discreet
- Deployable from anywhere
One teacher recalls how helpful the CrisisAlert badge was in a medical emergency:
“I heard something that sounded like shoes squeaking and then a loud thud outside of my room. I went out of the room to check and there was a student lying on his back in front of the bathroom. I quickly went to him and asked him if he was okay. He was staring at the ceiling and seemed to have trouble speaking. I determined that it was a medical emergency and thought that I needed to get the principal quickly. I was going to tell a student to run, go grab the principal when I remembered I had my Centegix badge on. I hit the button three times and felt the buzz letting me know that the alert had been received. My principal came out of the office and ran down the hall towards us. We were able to handle the medical situation quickly and efficiently, without disturbing the rest of the school or alarming students. I was very thankful for my badge and how easy it was to use it.”
The CrisisAlert badge ensures that help is a click away. This can lend a sense of security to teachers who might otherwise feel helpless or alone. It is always on their person, and instant communication with administrators and local first responders is available with the push of a button.
CENTEGIX is the leader in incident response solutions. Our CrisisAlert platform is the fastest and easiest way for staff to call for help in any emergency, from the everyday to the extreme. CENTEGIX creates safer spaces by innovating technology to empower and protect people, and leaders nationwide trust our safety solutions to provide peace of mind. To learn more about CENTEGIX, visit www.centegix.com.