Resources

Transforming the Teacher Role

How Innovative Designs Can Improve Satisfaction, Retention, and Student Experiences

Between 2020 and 2022, about 300,000 teachers left the profession, an estimated 3% drop in the workforce.
(Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2022, as cited in the Wall Street Journal, 2022)

And almost half of the new hires leave the profession within the first 5 years.
(Ingersoll et al., 2021)

One in four teachers expressed a desire to leave the profession after the 2020-21 school year because of work-related stress and dissatisfaction.
(Steiner & Woo, 2021)

In fact, the percentage of ‘very satisfied’ teachers dropped from 62% in 2008 to 12% in 2022.
(Merrimack College, 2022)

And unsurprisingly, job dissatisfaction is the leading cause of teacher turnover.
(Graph adapted from Carver-Thomas and Darling-Hammond, 2017)

0%
Dissatisfaction
0%
Financial Reasons
0%
Pursue another job
0%
Retirement
0%
Family/Personal reasons

What’s more, the impacts of this leaky pipeline disproportionately affect teachers of color.

Just in the 2020-21 school year, 45% of Black teachers reported a desire to leave the profession—this was almost double the rate of the overall average (25%).
(Steiner & Woo, 2021)

Role and fit defines the ways that a teacher’s role, responsibilities, and a personal sense of belonging contribute to teacher satisfaction.

Compensation, rewards, and recognition defines how increased salary, fair compensation, and positive recognition all contribute.

Working conditions defines the ways that a school’s structure and systems support teachers and contribute to teacher satisfaction.

Career development defines the types of opportunities and resources around career progression that contribute to teacher satisfaction.

Collaborative Teaching Practices

Collaborative Teaching Practices
Reconfigure your teachers’ roles and responsibilities to be more collaborative.

Leverage Nontraditional Staff

Leverage Nontraditional Staff
Leverage nontraditional professionals to act as supplemental teachers, mentors, or additional staff.

Extend Reach of High-Quality Teachers

Extend Reach of High-Quality Teachers
Extend the reach of high-quality teachers by restructuring the roles and responsibilities of current staff to better fit the needs of students.

Activate Ownership & Self-Direction

Activate Ownership & Self-Direction
Activate ownership and self-direction in student assignments—equip students with the skills, knowledge, and learning activities.

Think Flexibly About Scheduling

Think Flexibly About Scheduling
Craft schedules that are designed around learners’ needs and that give teachers more flexibility.

Inspire Teacher Autonomy & Voice

Inspire Teacher Autonomy & Voice
Ensure that decisions are grounded in teachers’ perspectives and that they have control over what impacts their day-to-day work.

Support Mindsets & Well-Being

Support Mindsets & Well-Being
Practice and implement strategies that inspire productive orientation to the work.

Triage Strategies

Looking for immediate ways to handle staffing shortages and educator burnout? Explore these triage strategies.

Collaborative Teaching Practices
Inspire Teacher Autonomy & Voice
Collaborative Teaching Practices
Leverage Nontraditional Staff
Activate Ownership & Self-Direction
Collaborative Teaching Practices
Leverage Nontraditional Staff
Activate Ownership & Self-Direction
Think Flexibly About Scheduling
Activate Ownership & Self-Direction
Inspire Teacher Autonomy & Voice
Think Flexibly About Scheduling
Support Mindsets & Well-Being
Leverage Nontraditional Staff
Activate Ownership & Self-Direction
Collaborative Teaching Practices
Leverage Nontraditional Staff
Activate Ownership & Self-Direction
Inspire Teacher Autonomy & Voice
Collaborative Teaching Practices
Support Mindsets & Well-Being
Collaborative Teaching Practices
Activate Ownership & Self-Direction
Think Flexibly About Scheduling
Activate Ownership & Self-Direction
Inspire Teacher Autonomy & Voice
Extend Reach of High-Quality Teachers
Think Flexibly About Scheduling
Inspire Teacher Autonomy & Voice
Extend Reach of High-Quality Teachers
Collaborative Teaching Practices
Leverage Nontraditional Staff
Collaborative Teaching Practices
Extend Reach of High-Quality Teachers
Collaborative Teaching Practices
Support Mindsets & Well-Being
Collaborative Teaching Practices
Think Flexibly About Scheduling
Leverage Nontraditional Staff
Activate Ownership & Self-Direction

More examples coming soon!

Transcend is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit that operates nationally.