Blog Post [ELM1034] Attracting, Developing, and Retaining High-Quality Educators

Have you ever wondered why some schools seem to have an endless revolving door of educators while others maintain stable, thriving teams for years? As someone who has worked with countless educational leaders, I’ve observed that the difference often comes down to intentional practices rather than luck or location.

Too many districts approach staffing reactively rather than proactively. They wait until positions become vacant before scrambling to fill them, often settling for whoever is available rather than finding the right fit. I recently spoke with a fellow educator who admitted, “We used to treat hiring like an emergency response rather than strategic planning. Our results reflected that approach.”

Another critical mistake is viewing compensation as the only retention tool. While competitive salaries matter, research consistently shows that educators leave primarily due to poor working conditions, lack of administrative support, and limited growth opportunities, not just for better pay.

Perhaps the most damaging error is treating teacher and principal development as a one-time event rather than an ongoing process. The “workshop and done” approach rarely translates to meaningful improvement or satisfaction.

Building Your Educational Dream Team

As Peter Drucker wisely noted, “Culture eats strategy for breakfast.” The most successful schools operate with a talent mindset that permeates everything they do. They understand that:

1. Quality trumps quantity. One outstanding teacher impacts students more positively than several mediocre ones.
2. Development is an investment, not an expense. When you invest in your educators’ growth, you’re investing directly in student outcomes.
3. Retention begins during recruitment. The hiring process should clearly communicate your school’s culture, expectations, and support systems.

I’ve witnessed remarkable transformations when leaders shift from viewing staffing as “filling positions” to “building a community of professionals.” This mindset shift changes everything about how they approach attraction, development, and retention.

What Actually Works

Based on research and experience, here are the most effective approaches for each phase:

Attracting Top Talent

• Build a compelling employer brand that showcases your school’s unique culture and values. Your current teachers should be your best recruiters.
• Create talent pipelines through partnerships with universities, alternative certification programs, and “grow your own” initiatives targeting paraprofessionals and community members.
• Utilize behavioral interviewing techniques that assess cultural fit and teaching philosophy, rather than just credentials.

Developing Educators Meaningfully

• Implement job-embedded coaching rather than isolated professional development sessions. The impact of ongoing support dramatically outperforms traditional workshops.
• Create career lattices, not just ladders. Provide opportunities for horizontal growth through teacher leadership roles, mentoring, and the development of specialized expertise.
• Personalize growth plans based on individual strengths and interests. As one principal I used to supervise told me, “When we stopped treating PD as one-size-fits-all, teacher engagement skyrocketed.”

Retaining Your Best People

• Foster autonomy and voice in school decision-making. Educators who feel a sense of ownership over their environment are significantly more likely to stay.
• Build supportive communities through structured collaboration time and mentoring programs.
• Recognize contributions meaningfully and regularly. Beyond formal recognition programs, the daily acknowledgment of efforts builds a culture where people want to remain.

As educational leaders, you have tremendous influence over your school’s talent ecosystem. I challenge you to:

1. Audit your current practices: Where are you reactive rather than proactive? What messages does your culture send to current and prospective staff?
2. Identify one area for immediate improvement in each category — retention, attraction, and development. Small, consistent changes create powerful results over time.
3. Ask your educators directly: “What would make this an irresistible place to build your career?” Then listen carefully and act on what you learn.

Remember, in education, our people are our program. When you invest strategically in retaining, attracting, and developing extraordinary educators, everything else in your school ecosystem improves as a result.

What will you do differently tomorrow to strengthen your educational team?

#EducationalLeader,
Kim

When students are led well, they learn well.

References:

• Carver-Thomas, D., & Darling-Hammond, L. (2019). The trouble with teacher turnover: How teacher attrition affects students and schools. Education Policy Analysis Archives.
• Kraft, M. A., & Papay, J. P. (2014). Can professional environments in schools promote teacher development? Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis.
• Vaden, R. (2018). Take the Stairs: 7 Steps to Achieving True Success. Perigee Books.
• Fullan, M. (2016). The NEW Meaning of Educational Change. Teachers College Press.

The views shared in the Educational Leadership Moment are solely mine and do not reflect the positions of my employer or any entity within the local, state, or federal government sector.