Not every teacher who leaves should have stayed. But schools have responsibility for the ones who should. The difference between recruitment and retention.
By Kim Lester
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Somebody's gotta say it.
Schools cannot recruit their way out of a teacher retention problem.
I need to be honest about something. Teachers leave schools for many different reasons, and not all of them are about the school.
Some teachers retire. Some relocate. Some get other opportunities to do other work. Some teachers make decisions based on family needs.
I want to be clear on something. Teaching is definitely not for everyone. Sometimes a teacher realizes that and leaves. Sometimes the people working closely with that teacher, including the other teachers she works with, realize it too.
Not every departure can or should be prevented. I think that is something we all can agree on.
But here's what I have learned from 28 years in education. Schools are the closest touch point to a teacher's daily experience in schools and with school staff. So, that gives school leaders a responsibility to improve retention within the boundaries of what they can actually control.
What Schools Cannot Control
Schools cannot change salary schedules. We know that teachers are not paid what they should be paid for this important work. Schools cannot change district mandates or staffing allocation. Neither of those are within the scope of school leader authority. They also cannot override any state requirements and required initiatives. School leaders cannot fix everything broken in the system.
Districts and policymakers are responsible for addressing any of those conditions that are beyond a school's actual control or become out of the reach of authority of school leaders. Those are systemic issues that require systemic solutions.
I need us to see that clearly. Because schools sometimes take on blame for things they genuinely cannot change. And that is not fair and it is not accurate.
But schools also sometimes use that fact as an excuse to not do what they actually can do.
What Schools Can Control
Schools can influence trust. They can shape communication. They can protect autonomy. They can guard planning time. They can provide support with student behavior. They can examine teacher workloads. They can decide how teachers are treated when they raise concerns.
These are not small things. These are the daily conditions that make teaching sustainable or unbearable.
A principal cannot raise a teacher's salary. But she can make sure that teacher is not spending her planning period covering a class or in endless meetings. A principal cannot change the district literacy initiative or MTSS requirements. But she can look at a teacher and say I see what this is costing you, and let's talk about what we can actually do here.
That is different from recruitment. That is retention.
What Happens When We Only Recruit
When teachers leave, schools feel the loss. The school has to fill that position. Students and families lose the consistency they need for successful years. The teachers who remain end up taking on the responsibilities that those teachers had. The school loses wisdom, experience, relationships, and knowledge that will not be replaced by a new hire.
Recruitment may fill the vacancy. But it does not replace everything that walked out of the door when a good teacher does not feel she can remain.
When a teacher leaves and the school's only response is to post the opening and begin reaching out to leader friends who may have knowledge of teachers looking for jobs, something important is missed. That's when attrition stops being a signal and starts being just a staffing problem to solve.
When teacher departures are only treated as positions to fill without looking at what could have helped good teachers stay, that is an example of systemic neglect.
Not every teacher who leaves should have stayed. I think we all agree with that. But schools, districts, and policymakers are responsible for doing what they can to retain the good teachers who should.
The Difference That Matters
Recruitment fills classrooms. That is its job. It brings new teachers through the doors of the school and into the classroom.
Retention protects the experience and stability already inside those classrooms. It keeps the teachers who know their students. It preserves the relationships with families. It protects the knowledge of how things actually work in that building. It keeps the teachers who remain from burning out under the weight of everyone else's work.
Both matter. But they are not the same thing.
And when a school confuses the two and thinks that hiring more people solves a retention problem, nothing actually changes. The conditions that pushed people out remain. The cycle continues.
Where You Stand When You Walk Away From This
If you're a teacher and you're wondering whether you can stay, know this. Sometimes the best teachers leave. That does not make you weak or uncommitted. Sometimes the conditions genuinely are unsustainable. And sometimes a school will not do what it can to make things better.
If you're a school leader and you're wondering why your good teachers keep leaving, first know this. You are responsible for making sure the right people are in the right seat. Not every teacher should stay. That is your job to see clearly and act on. But also know that this is not only your responsibility. This heavy loads lands solidly in the laps of leaders who support the leaders as well.
Now... for the good teachers you know are good teachers, the ones you see struggling, the question is not how many more people you can recruit to replace them. The question is what conditions inside your control you can change to help them stay. They are good teachers. They need to stay. They make the school stronger. So, do something different. Ask them for their thoughts.
If you're a district leader or policymaker, the question is what systemic barriers are in the way. Because schools can protect planning time and build trust, but they cannot raise salaries on their own. Schools can examine workload, but they cannot eliminate mandates that don't make sense. Schools can provide support, but they cannot override state requirements. Don't think for a second that this belongs in the laps of the principal alone. Go to the schools. Ask what is really the concern and how you can help.
And know that schools are struggling with student behavior and the consequences and support required due to unique needs and legal requirements. Teachers are bearing the weight of this alone. Schools and school leaders need districts to support teachers in this work. They need clarity on what can and cannot be done. They need resources. They need backup. They need districts working alongside them to figure out how to manage student behavior in a way that is sustainable for teachers and fair for students.
That is not something schools can solve on their own. This requires systemic support.
Each level has a responsibility. Schools cannot fix everything. But they can fix more than they think. And districts and policymakers are responsible for fixing the rest.
If this landed somewhere true for you, I want you to know something.
Understanding the difference between recruitment and retention changes how you see the problem. It's not just about hiring people. It's about the conditions that make staying possible.
The Get Out the Door Guide is built for teachers who need to protect their evening and decide what work actually belongs in your bag. It's completely free. It gives you concrete tools: The Take-It-Home Test, The Before-I-Leave Five, The Teacher Triage. They help you end your day intentionally.
https://afterthebells.org/pages/get-out-the-door-guide
Take care of yourself the way you take care of everyone else.
Kim 🩷🌿