The Problem

The American Institute for Research (2022-2023) studied teacher turnover in nine large school districts and reported an average rate of 23%. 44% of teachers quit within the first five years of teaching (The Berkley High Jacket, personal communication, December 25, 2025). Only a small number of American schools will reach excellence with these stats on deck. Teachers have the most significant impact on student learning and the bleed – out must stop.

What are the top five challenges that might impact teacher decisions to leave or stay? According to Tyson Partner Analysts (2025), they include:

1. Motivating students to engage with materials;
2. Managing their own burnout;
3. Addressing students’ social and emotional needs;
4. Meeting students’ different learning styles; and
5. Having enough time for instruction.

My ear to the ground has also captured reasons such as: an unsafe school climate, toxic school culture, dangerous student behavior without parental and school leadership support, ineffective code of conduct, lack of leadership instructional support, no time to plan within the school – day, and insufficient compensation.

Checking the pulse of teachers is one of the most critical leadership behaviors. Highly effective leaders work smart to develop and retain talent. Teacher turnover is minimal. Ongoing teacher support is paramount.

LeadersHIP STRATEGIES

As a school principal, I designed an access and opportunity framework to support teachers: water cooler (10 – minutes), fireside ( 30-minutes), and camping trip (90-minute) conversations. They can be requested anytime by teachers and run the gamut from instructional coaching to navigating the tough terrain of organizational culture.

I have also used informal 2 – minute check-ins to listen and respond, engagement polls and surveys, educational ethnography and annual listening campaigns. These campaigns gave the best data! Less formal than Root Cause Analysis (RCA), teachers, students, administrators, and families discuss:

1. What worked well, why, and supporting evidence;
2. What did not work, why and supporting evidence;
3. Essential next steps to improve learning and teaching;
4. How will we know if our plan is working; and
5. How will we adjust if it is not working?

As a middle school district – level coach, I designed a complete learning experience around restoring teacher passion. Teachers were vulnerable as they shared feedback about the why behind their frustrations and were supportive of each other by listening and sharing ideas. We ended with a showcase of encouragement where teachers wrote and performed poetry, songs and skits focused on perseverance and reigniting their passion for the work. This task works well in classrooms too.

Unfortunately, I have coached in schools where the annual turnover rate is almost 40%; yet, I have also coached in schools where the school turnover rate is 3% or less, while the district’s is 25% or more. In these schools, learning rather than punitive rigor prevailed. Excellent leadership trumps teacher turnover.

Are my leadership actions Helpful or harmful?

What story does the teacher turnover rate tell in your school or district? Sometimes, high turnover is intentional in climates where schools have been underperforming for years, and evidence suggests that teacher quality is the root cause; however, I argue that the same evidence points to leadership quality as a contributing factor. Leaders, it starts with the man in the mirror.

There is an adage that states, “Children learn from people who care about them.” Teachers also learn from compassionate leaders who are invested in their well-being, classroom success, and future aspirations. Do teachers shake or tremble when you walk in the room and hallways, or are they confident, composed, motivated, and willing to engage in dialogue with you?

As Ronald Heifitz (1994) suggests, take time to step off the dance floor and onto the balcony to reflect on the impact of your daily leadership actions on teacher growth and retention. I argue for less cracking of the whip. More connectedness and servanthood.

What are your thoughts?

Teacher Survey

This survey is anonymous. The intent is to gather insight on how to curb teacher turnover and leadership impact on teacher retention.

SurveyMonkey https://share.google/Mj4cP1ciApjCCFHCy