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6 Building Blocks to Solve Staffing Struggles You Can Implement Now

Solving School Staffing Struggles

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From teacher resignations to lack of qualified applicants, school staff shortages are creating roadblocks to optimal learning environments. Teacher recruitment and retention discussions revolve around increasing compensation, providing more monetary incentives, and optimizing school-level systems for equity and inclusion.  

While these are key elements to a successful teacher recruitment and retention plan, they require a long-term effort and include significant budget impact. Making gains on short-term priorities will help you gain traction as you develop longer-term solutions.  

Here are six strategies to consider implementing now: 

1. Leverage volunteers as a short-term solution.

Volunteers can help solve some of your short-term staffing shortages. Community members can serve in the lunchroom, on the playground, during arrival or dismissal, as bus aides, classroom monitors, or as general helpers.  

With 69% of teachers reporting they are spending more time getting students back on track from learning loss, extra academic help with students could alleviate some teacher burnout. Qualified volunteers who provide tutoring support can alleviate some of your teachers’ stress and support student academic success.   

2. Develop a teacher mentoring program.

Even before the pandemic, 44% of new teachers reportedly leave the profession within five years. Meanwhile, The Learning Policy Institute’s research indicates that beginning teachers with little or no preparation are two-and-a-half times more likely to leave after one year compared to their well-prepared colleagues. Pairing new teachers with seasoned colleagues can help with the learning curve. This can be satisfying for both individuals as junior teachers feel a sense of belonging and experienced teachers can improve their leadership skills.  

3. Don’t overlook the power of recognition.

A 10-year, 100,000-person study identified that 79% of employees who quit their jobs cite a lack of appreciation as a key reason for leaving. Meanwhile, the study also found that 94.4% of people who report the highest morale at work also report their managers are effective at recognition.  

Individual, values-based recognition celebrating individuals demonstrating key aspects of the organization’s mission—tends to have the most impact, followed by purpose-based recognition, which ties the recognition to specific performance and results. Setting aside a few minutes for recognition during weekly or monthly meetings can have a positive impact.  

4. Build a culture of school safety and wellbeing.

Administrative support is the factor most consistently associated with teachers’ decisions to stay in or leave a school, with teachers who felt unsupported more than twice as likely to leave. Furthermore, with 80% of teachers reporting spending more time addressing students’ mental health and the Dept. of Education earmarking millions for student academic recovery and mental health supports, it is clear student mental health is a top issue nationwide.   

Promoting a culture of school safety and wellbeing provides a more optimal learning and working environment for students and staff. Steps to consider: 

  • Inspire Confidence: Clearly communicate the school’s emergency management plan, provide training, and conduct drills so staff know what to do in an emergency—and that they are supported with tools, technology, software and solutions to keep them and their students safe.  
  • Support teachers’ concerns: Implementing StudentSafe—which empowers teachers to document student behavior concerns—reassures them their concerns will be catalogued, reviewed, and addressed as needed. This is a powerful demonstration of administrative support for teachers who might witness multiple low-level behavioral disruptions during the day.  

5. Educate yourself on state and federal mandates and funding opportunities.

When hot topics like mental health, academic recovery, and nationwide teacher shortages enter the halls of government, there’s always the opportunity for changes both in state and federal mandates and recommendations. From recommending teacher apprenticeship programslike South Carolina’s program—to the federal Bipartisan Safer Communities Act designating $280 million in grants to increase student access to mental health services, it behooves school administrators to stay abreast of the changing legislative and funding landscape. 

6. Incorporate a personal touch into your management and leadership skills.

Knowing what your staff value to flourish and feel empowered is key to attracting and retaining quality employees. The top motivational characteristics employees cite focus on communication, not the bank account. 2022 Salesforce research identifies that 9 out of 10 employees feel motivated to do their best work when they have a manager who listens, values their feedback, and acts on it. Listening is a key management skill, while integrating feedback and finding viable solutions takes leadership to even greater heights. Clear goals and expectations as well as belonging to a team that works well together are the other top motivators.  

How Raptor Can Help

As you strategize how to fill your staffing vacancies, keep these building blocks in mind along with our suite of school safety solutions to support you. Raptor Volunteer Management can help you process background checks, intake paperwork, and track volunteers in your schools. It works seamlessly with Raptor Visitor Management and Emergency Management to keep you organized and safe.  

Connect with a Raptor representative today.    

Related Resources

Guide to K-12 Volunteer Management
Best Practices to Streamline Your Volunteer Program

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