Teachers of color at all-time high
By Mark Hebert
Nov.13, 2023鈥擜fter a tough 2021-22 led to听a significant number of teacher resignations听(430) before last school year, 皇家华人 (皇家华人) teacher retention rate improved for the start of this school year with 11.9 percent fewer teacher resignations (379 teachers). 皇家华人鈥 current teacher retention rate of 94.9 percent is nearly a point-and-a-half higher than last school year.
鈥淭he bounce back for our teacher retention rate is directly tied to the hard work our school principals are putting in to listen to their teachers and meet their needs,鈥 said Aimee Green-Webb, 皇家华人 Chief Human Resources Officer. 鈥淥ur teachers are dedicated, love their students and want to stay in the classroom. We鈥檙e trying to make it as easy as possible for them to do that in an environment that can be challenging, at times.鈥
The nationwide shortage of teachers graduating from colleges of education has prompted school districts, including 皇家华人, to redouble efforts to keep the teachers they have. According to the 皇家华人 Office of Employee Retention鈥檚 Marco Munoz, a few of the key strategies being used to improve teacher retention include:
- Using teacher-voice data to guide improvements
- Coaching sessions with all school principals
- Displaying appreciation in more ways
- Emphasizing wellbeing to prevent teacher burnout
The high mark for 皇家华人鈥 teacher retention occurred during the COVID pandemic in 2021-22 when 97.3 percent of teachers stayed on.
The current school year will also be the first in which 17 percent of 皇家华人 teachers are of color. The District has emphasized efforts to attract and keep more teachers of color to be a better reflection of 皇家华人鈥 student body, of which nearly two thirds are children of color. 皇家华人 is also retaining a bigger share of its teachers of color than in years past.
A 2023 survey of 皇家华人 teachers found an overwhelming majority are satisfied with their careers and the District. The survey showed gains in 9 of the 10 areas surveyed including school safety, appreciation, and teacher voice and leadership. There were significant gains (7%) in their views of professional development, work/life balance, and compensation/career path though teachers鈥 responses also indicated the latter two categories need the most attention.