Our Process
We have noticed that our public schools have a need for increased support in the areas of teacher attraction, teacher retention, student attraction, and student retention. Our public schools were already losing students and therefore funding before the pandemic due to the increasing popularity of charter schools, and the pandemic exacerbated the problem, causing more parents to choose alternatives to public schools.
In the spirit of collaboration and community, the 2022 Cohort conducted two surveys. The respondents existing of current/former educators and new educators from Wilson County Schools. They answered questions to help us understand their experiences on the front line and share their insights on:
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Why Teachers are leaving the profession
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​What is and isn't working when it comes to supporting teachers, and
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How to retain and nurture talent in the classroom
The research yielded many actionable ideas and strategies for leaders to take back to the district. Below you will see our survey trends among local beginner, current, and former educators along with our no cost, low cost and some funding required solutions.
Recommendations
No Cost Solutions:
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Create Voluntary Teacher Advisory Boards on the school and/or county level
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Organized breaks and dedicated planning periods
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Use free outlets (such as social media) to praise teachers on more frequent basis at smaller community level
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Education for teachers on what resources already exist within the school system and community
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Increased community and family engagement through parent or business collaboration
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Low Cost Solutions:
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Expand upon teacher praise with rewards and gifts
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Networking and team-building opportunities
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Mentorship programming
Some Funding Required
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Expansion of professional development opportunities
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Expansion of Beginning Teacher Support beyond first three years of teaching career
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Expansion of mental health resources for teachers
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Strengthen supply stipends to reduce out of pocket costs for teachers
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Marketing campaigns to excite the community and teachers about programs available for teachers and students