Boosting Teacher Retention

There’s an old saying about teaching—if you want to feel optimistic, try to avoid the teachers’ lounge.

That’s not the case at White Hall High School. Research shows that teacher well-being and recognition are some of the most important factors in teacher retention and performance. Under the leadership of Principal Nathan Sullivan and with support from Forward’s LeARner Collective, the school is showing that building a school culture that prioritizes teacher wellness leads to higher retention rates and, ultimately, enhanced student learning.

Katie James, who's taught English at her alma mater for the last seven years, believes the school's recent efforts are boosting staff morale.

“When I started at White Hall, there was often no way to help, even when I wanted to,” James said. “The same core group of teachers was called upon again and again. Now, I see so many teachers actively enacting positive changes. We feel like more voices are being heard and that, because of our new committees, we now have the vehicle to speak. We have first-year teachers working alongside veteran teachers, learning from and supporting each other.”

White Hall’s leaders believe that teachers and educators who feel better about themselves are in a stronger position to support students—that’s where schoolwide change begins. As a result, the team is focused on establishing a culture of appreciation and collaboration across its campus. Teachers are given increased agency to run their own classrooms while continuing to learn and work together in improving the school as a community. As participants in the LeARner Collective, teachers are also given a leadership role to work alongside Principal Sullivan to determine needs, opportunities, and solutions in the school.

And these efforts continue beyond the school’s walls. Earlier this month, James and several LeARner Collective colleagues traveled to Austin for the SXSW EDU conference to learn more about innovative strategies to elevate teacher wellness.

“Teacher mental health is a topic of great importance to me personally and drove my session selections at the conference,” she said. “I am excited to bring the ideas I gained there to White Hall High School.”

White Hall’s approach goes the extra mile, too, showing their appreciation for their teachers by giving them time for rest and celebrating them during important milestones. For example, new teachers receive a faculty pullover and are presented with regalia to wear at graduation, where they are cheered alongside the seniors. In the fall, teachers also received an extra plan period during which they could use the massage chairs in the teacher’s lounge and have snacks in a calm space to quiet their minds.

These educator-centric initiatives and improvements are paying dividends.

“What I have witnessed is an outpouring of support from teachers for other teachers,” James said. “When we needed volunteers to sub during teachers’ plan periods, most teachers volunteered their free time to be of service to the school. That would not have been possible two years ago. I have also noted a decrease in overwhelmingly negative talk. I have seen a real effort on behalf of teachers to look for the positive angle, to see the good wherever they can.”

White Hall High School’s commitment to making staff feel heard and valued is working. When the administration asked teachers if they planned to return next year, 55 out of 57 said yes.