#aasa poll

[athensandspartaadventures]

I may have forgotten some but hey look I have polls

[timothygadson]

Poll Reports Superintendents Want Access to School Data

Over 10,000 professionals in education leadership are members of the American Association of School Administrators (AASA). The organization supports educators by advocating for initiatives that support transforming public education. In September 2022, for instance, the organization reported results from a poll that illustrated superintendents want school data to make future decisions regarding their schools.

The AASA poll is in partnership with the Data Quality Campaign national superintendents’ poll to develop the survey that the Harris Poll conducted. The survey examined how superintendents around the country used data in their programs to support students and schools. The poll showed that the data provided vital insights into how students perform.

Data does provide education leadership with insight into critical areas in school management. Leadership gains much information in understanding student needs through data related to formal and informal assessments, standardized test scores, attendance, discipline, and extracurricular activities, among many other sources.

Superintendents can also gain insights on how to train (professional development) teachers in developing best practices for imparting information to students. Finally, district-wide data helps administrators allocate financial, human, and technological resources and assist them in creating policy.

An April 2020 Ed Tech article supports the use of data in making school-wide decisions. The article reported that data is essential in making accurate decisions that culminate in actionable goals and objectives. While the article references teachers using it in implementing better instruction strategies, this holds for administrators or any professional in educational leadership, especially receiving a return on investment for spending on best practices and technology.

The April 2020 Ed Tech article also mentioned other reasons why data is necessary for all stakeholders in education. For one, superintendents and other administrators must rely on anecdotes, assumptions, and opinions when allocating funds without data. Further, data uncovers uncomfortable truths about the effectiveness of a school program and issues that data resolves.

Many school superintendents feel the same way. In terms of the AASA poll findings, the survey showed that 90 percent of school superintendents reported they might feel more confident in making school-related decisions with more data. The poll also stated that 99 percent of superintendents, almost everyone, felt that relevant state data with tools that help administrators act on information, provide more training, and offer more support for analyzing, reporting, and communicating data would help in decision-making.

The September 2022 AASA poll used the pandemic as a backdrop for reporting the poll findings. One finding stated that 93 percent of superintendents started collecting new data during the pandemic. Of those superintendents who used data, 94 percent agreed that the new data provided further information and insights.

The survey also reflected that a quarter of the superintendents who collected data reported they had the information they needed to understand their school districts. However, they still want access to more data to support students. Of the one in four superintendents who said they wanted more data, over half said they wanted data on students after they left high school.

These results reveal a system-wide shift in superintendent sentiment regarding using data in public school decision-making. More significantly, the data sends a message to state legislators that this information is essential and that legislators need to make providing data to superintendents a priority so that they can make actionable steps, according to AASA Executive Director Daniel A. Domenech.

[allbeendonebefore]

I was kind of under the impression that this is just a widespread thing in Alberta, especially because of the Angus Reid fractured federation survey (I cant include the link here, but you can Google it, its from January 24th 2019). When got back into Hetalia, I imagined the dynamics kinda changed to this, which would be pretty bad tbh. I hope its not that aggressive in Alberta, I will never be able to go check tho, too expensive :( I loved the bad french btw

i see you guys sending these asks super late at night and i wonder whether any of you sleep - idk where you’re writing from and i may be on the west coast but are you guys ok wherever you are? I just woke up but I have my tea and if I’m not caffeinated now I surely will be as I answer this.

I’m sure I’ve seen the survey you’re speaking of before and before I address it in any specific detail I just want to back up and re frame Why I’m Being Like This in regards to recent events and my orientation towards answering these questions in terms of Hetalia the way I do, because I think it’s the heart of how I answer.

the tldr of it is:

1. I have an opportunity to make interpretations of reality in unexpected and challenging ways, therefore widespread opinions don’t govern anything but my stupid gag comics in the simple sense that if everyone was represented by widespread opinion alone all the time, nothing would change and

2. if i can answer dozens of asks about ralph and oliver hanging out there’s absolutely no reason I can’t answer asks about ralph and jean hanging out, lol.

3. If you’d like a shorter, more concise “vision statement”, I have one on @battle-of-alberta here. (although now I notice the links don’t work on mobile so you’ll have to be on desktop for that one)

I’m assuming this will be long so cut time

(and yes, alas, the bad french is my legacy and I’m afraid it has not improved much although i swear i was an A student when i was actually taking it) (and no please don’t visit now, purely for pandemic reasons, it would be really expensive And you’d have a bad time) (and talking to me is free lmao) (I do not mean to say that you need to have feet on the ground to understand a place at all, i mean, at the moment I don’t lol)

headings because I say a lot

what even is hetalia

At the most basic level, Hetalia is a tool that can be used in a variety of ways. It can be for memorization, current politics at a glance or historical relationships in different settings. I use it for all of these things, of course, I certainly use it a lot in comics that take place in the much more distant past in @athensandspartaadventures. When I was writing that, I was in undergrad and AaSA was a tool to help me pass my exams, I didn’t think of how it might be read or interpreted by people who have lived in or experienced those places these days, or what kind of political and cultural tensions it might reveal. (Not to say that it has gotten me into sticky situations, exactly, but I am more aware of where things like that would arise now).

These days I look back on a lot of my experiences - both in IAMP/Hetalia and just as a person, and I think that if Hetalia is a tool it should be used with some awareness of intention and responsibility. Things in the fandom have changed as it became more mainstream and more well known and I think there’s a definite worry about screwing up or not representing Everything or not pleasing Everybody or not doing it Right. I have a simple, insufferably academic principle.

(That said, yes, you can still do it very wrong if you write a methodology.)

Still, it’s a comfort to me that I’m just doing the things the way I say I’m going to do them, and that is the underpinning of Inspired But Not Constrained By Hetalia. I don’t do things Himaruya’s way, I can’t do things the way IAMP would do them if it were running today because it’s not and things have changed, all I can do is do them how I would do them.

I have hurt people in the past because they sometimes couldn’t tell whether I was writing From an Albertan Perspective or not, and I’ve evoked some preeetty spicy comments over the last decade, and I realized that tone and perspective are something that really shapes how people understand and interact with my work and I’m trying to use that understanding in a conscientious way)

what even is alberta

So when you’re me and you’ve grown up in a province that is the Angriest in the country and the most Misunderstood in the country and the most Entitled in the country and nobody outside of maybe Saskatchewan has a good thing to say about you half the time and maybe you’re tired of that... you get kind of depressed thinking about how every year some kiddo comes on the internet ready to be excited about making or celebrating characters that represent themselves and No Matter Where They Go running into everyone else’s negative impressions first and foremost.

We joke about how everyone hates Toronto, though I’ve always understood it in a teasing way because I’ve never ACTUALLY met someone (outside of our current legislative assembly) who REALLY hates Toronto, but it does feel like I’ve encountered (directly or indirectly) people who do Genuinely hate Alberta and hoo boy is That a strange feeling. I mean, there’s an understanding that BC also ‘hates’ Alberta but half the people in BC are originally from Alberta so it’s a, uh, different feeling.

The story of Alberta from everywhere else is always the story of that Angus Reid article and the memes and comments and listicles that spin out around mainstream media. Alberta is giving too much. Alberta is getting too little. Alberta is too stupid to understand that equalization payments are a good thing actually, and Alberta is too dumb to understand you don’t really need EI if you make enough money in six months to own a house and multiple vehicles Just Because you own a house and multiple vehicles. Alberta is destroying the environment for everybody. Alberta has a huge concentration of white supremacists. Alberta is the Texas of Canada* and has the conservative streak and bible belt to match. Alberta should get annexed by the US. Oh, but Banff! We like Banff, though.

And like I said, politicians use these widespread feelings to stir up the sentiments of people who can’t afford to travel, people who are naturally suspicious of mainstream news, people who have barely even left their hometowns let alone the province and have no other means of validating what they hear, but people who’s emotions are genuinely tied to real feelings of alienation that really exist and HAVE existed for generations. And when the so-called “laurentian elites” in ontario and quebec make fun of them for being uneducated red necks, well, you hit a wasps nest and expected what, exactly?

what even am i doing

And like I’m faced with this question every day I decide to pick up my stylus and badger you all with unsolicited comics: do I want this to continue? Do I want to wear the mask that fits? Do I want to stand aside and say #notallalbertans #notlikeotheralbertans and stand over here on the island** patting myself on the back for not? being? there? Do I say yes, you’re right, and stand aside and watch loud mouth white supremacists co-opt wexiters and let them lead the perception of the province I grew up in just because that is what’s currently happening? Do I acknowledge the widespread sentiment and then pick apart every other province to say Well Actually You’re Equally Problematic Hypocrites, So There?

Obviously I’ve been saying no for a while. I’m perfectly happy to acknowledge the reality and when I draw stupid gag comics like this or this you can tell (hopefully) from my style that it’s tongue and cheek. When I draw less stupid not-gag comics like this or this I am trying to explore the Real Sentiments in a way that doesn’t completely polarize the issue and spin it out of control. I’m more of the opinion that even though Current Sentiments do get in the way that as personifications they 1. have some perspective and as people they 2. have some interest in not throwing out a friendship that was a struggle to build up every time the polls change or some new radical party seizes power. I do a lot of research and I want that to be reflected in my understanding of each characters deep seated beliefs and motivations, but I don’t want to let either the history or the current realities dictate the future if I am going to try to do that myself. 

why even am i doing it for

So like really the heart of the matter is: I am writing what I write for my thirteen year old self. She was the me who moved back to Canada from the United States, who’s first introduction to living there was a hellish surge of nationalism after September 11th. Who’s defense against that was to hide behind a shield of Canada is Better, Actually and who returned to Alberta during the boom years to realize that, oh wait, the rest of the country thinks we’re assholes just like they think the United States is. Who spent her teenage years learning that, boom or bust, the widespread sentiment in and out of the province is just as narrow, shortsighted, self interested, and stubborn as her own fiction of What Canada Was Supposed to be Like. Who learned that propping up that image at the expense of her friendships was not worth it, that propping up that image at the expense of people who are suffering and dying under that image is not worth it. Who found herself rehashing the same sort of gut reaction defensiveness online because the Guilt and Apologizing on behalf of her province compared to others felt Really Heavy for a kid who didn’t have any clue what to do about it and was just there to have fun and learn some stuff.

So I’m writing for anyone else who finds themselves exhausted and saddened by coming online and seeing that the only way that people can imagine Alberta is as an antagonist. I’d like to challenge everyone to start to imagine it better. It’s my little “escape” from reality, and for me it’s much easier to talk to people here where the stakes aren’t as high and the grievances a little less personal.

I’m also writing (in a more secondary way) for everyone who’s ever looked at alberta from afar and wondered What is going On inside your Head and is it always This

(no comment at this time)

as always, I’m here to explain At The Very Least what goes on in My head because at the end of the day, that’s all I can do. And though there are some things that make me angry and emotional, I’m happy to explain why. Happy to answer asks or chat on discord or whatever, any time I have the time. :)

footnotes

*This is just a footnote to say something I didn’t want to interrupt the flow of my comments, but this is an annoyance that me and my Texas Tomodachi share lol

**You’ll notice angry Albertans online have a favourite tactic, and that’s pointing out hypocrisy. They can justify A N y T h I n G by calling another province a hypocrite “so there” (i.e. BC can’t claim to be environmentally conscious because of Victoria’s sewage problem or Site C) - and while I am interested in shattering the image of Alberta vs. the Perfect Rest of Canada a little bit, I feel like it’s a very lazy argument that is used to deflect and not to help. I think it is more useful to unpack the sentiment of Why Alberta Still Feels Taken Advantage of rather than mudslinging, and when the mud starts flying no one seems interested in addressing problems anymore.

[zipgrowth]

Teachers are quitting at a record rate. Here’s four ways to turn the tide.

When it comes to teacher attrition, what once was a perpetual concern for K-12 school districts may be morphing into a flat-out crisis.

Teachers and other public education employees are leaving their jobs at the highest rate ever recorded according to a recent analysis of Federal Labor Department statistics by The Wall Street Journal.

Between October 2017 and October 2018, one million public education workers-including teachers, janitors, school counselors, and community-college faculty–quit their positions, according to recent statistics.

“In the first 10 months of 2018, public educators quit at an average rate of 83 per 10,000 a month, according to the Labor Department. While that is still well below the rate for American workers overall—231 voluntary departures per 10,000 workers in 2018—it is the highest rate for public educators since such records began in 2001.”  

An improved economy, tight labor market, and a low unemployment rate have created an environment where more workers are choosing to leave their jobs in search of new opportunities, experts say. But, the public education sector–which has long prided itself on stability and longevity–has previously not seen an exodus of this magnitude, even during strong economies.

Underappreciated or uninterested?

While these latest figures may seem shocking, they shouldn’t be news to school district leaders.

A national Gallup poll found that 83 percent of participating superintendents identified the ability to hire and maintain quality faculty as a key challenge.

Rising teacher attrition rates in recent years have been attributed to several factors, including a lack of appreciation for the time and effort required to excel as an educator, dwindling interest in the profession among college students, along with stagnant wages and resource support, as demonstrated last year during a string of teacher protests across several states.

Engaging your teachers

Fortunately, experts say there are practical steps that superintendents and principals can take to reduce teacher attrition.

Here’s just a few.

1. Hire passionate teachers

In the midst of a massive teacher shortage, it may be tempting to hire anyone and everyone who is interested in open positions at your district. That’s a mistake.

Because of the many challenges facing the teaching profession, hiring teachers who may not be all-in on the mission of your schools will inevitably lead to a less engaged faculty.

“They’re not coming into this because it’s a job, but because they really do like kids—and they want to make a difference in the lives of kids by teaching them and nurturing them,” says Dan Domenech, executive director of AASA, the School Superintendents Association, describing the type of candidate that K-12 school leaders and hiring managers should strive for. “I never hired a teacher—or a principal, for that matter,” says Domenech, a former superintendent, “unless I had the sense that this was an individual who truly cared about kids, and this wasn’t just a job for them.”

2. Make teacher training a priority

While teacher passion is essential, it needs to be supported by an understanding of how best to help students succeed in and out of the classroom.

Strong training goes beyond classroom tools and empowers teachers to understand students’ social and emotional needs.

“The day has come where school and district leaders must create professional cultures where teachers can take charge of their own adult learning,” writes former AASA superintendent of the year, Dr. Philip Lanoue. “No longer can we put everyone in a room for days of large-scale, cookie-cutter learning opportunities and check professional development off the list.”

He adds:

“Professional learning must be embedded in the everyday work school leaders and teachers do to improve learning outcomes for students and the adults who work with them…Professional development is a joint responsibility where school leaders serve as lead learners in a school culture that allows for risk-taking, which fuels innovation.”

3. Involve teachers in decision making

A survey of teachers by the Center on Education Policy found that nearly half (47 percent) felt their voices weren’t included in the school decision-making process. More than 75 percent said there voices weren’t being heard at the district level.

For teachers to truly be empowered, they need to know their voices are being heard.

To ensure teachers feel heard and valued, a growing number of school districts are embracing customer experience as a function of their HR departments.

Fort Bend ISD in Texas, for instance, launched Talent Connection. Powered by K12 Insight’s Let’s Talk! customer service solution, the online portal allows employees and prospective employees to engage the district’s HR department in conversations about important topics, such as onboarding, employee records, or benefits.

Gwyn Touchet, Fort Bend ISD’s executive director of human resources, says the portal is fueling better engagement among teachers and staff.

“The frustration on our customers’ part, from long response times or misinformation has subsided,” she says. “We’re able to provide an exceptional experience, and our customers view our department more positively now.”

4. Make teachers feel appreciated

When it comes to teacher satisfaction, a little acknowledgement can go a long way.

“Acknowledge the great work that teachers do,” says AASA’s Domenech, “and thank them for their work. Recognize them at staff meetings and in front of the community. Consider how you can reward them for a job well done, such as with bonuses and incentives.”

To learn more about how to engage and empower teachers and staff in your school or district, check out K12 Insight’s white paper, “All together now: 4 keys to better teacher engagement.”

The post Teachers are quitting at a record rate. Here’s four ways to turn the tide. appeared first on Trusted.

Teachers are quitting at a record rate. Here’s four ways to turn the tide. published first on https://medium.com/@GetNewDLBusiness

[zipgrowth]

Teachers are quitting at a record rate. Here’s four ways to turn the tide.

When it comes to teacher attrition, what once was a perpetual concern for K-12 school districts may be morphing into a flat-out crisis.

Teachers and other public education employees are leaving their jobs at the highest rate ever recorded according to a recent analysis of Federal Labor Department statistics by The Wall Street Journal.

Between October 2017 and October 2018, one million public education workers-including teachers, janitors, school counselors, and community-college faculty–quit their positions, according to recent statistics.

“In the first 10 months of 2018, public educators quit at an average rate of 83 per 10,000 a month, according to the Labor Department. While that is still well below the rate for American workers overall—231 voluntary departures per 10,000 workers in 2018—it is the highest rate for public educators since such records began in 2001.”  

An improved economy, tight labor market, and a low unemployment rate have created an environment where more workers are choosing to leave their jobs in search of new opportunities, experts say. But, the public education sector–which has long prided itself on stability and longevity–has previously not seen an exodus of this magnitude, even during strong economies.

Underappreciated or uninterested?

While these latest figures may seem shocking, they shouldn’t be news to school district leaders.

A national Gallup poll found that 83 percent of participating superintendents identified the ability to hire and maintain quality faculty as a key challenge.

Rising teacher attrition rates in recent years have been attributed to several factors, including a lack of appreciation for the time and effort required to excel as an educator, dwindling interest in the profession among college students, along with stagnant wages and resource support, as demonstrated last year during a string of teacher protests across several states.

Engaging your teachers

Fortunately, experts say there are practical steps that superintendents and principals can take to reduce teacher attrition.

Here’s just a few.

1. Hire passionate teachers

In the midst of a massive teacher shortage, it may be tempting to hire anyone and everyone who is interested in open positions at your district. That’s a mistake.

Because of the many challenges facing the teaching profession, hiring teachers who may not be all-in on the mission of your schools will inevitably lead to a less engaged faculty.

“They’re not coming into this because it’s a job, but because they really do like kids—and they want to make a difference in the lives of kids by teaching them and nurturing them,” says Dan Domenech, executive director of AASA, the School Superintendents Association, describing the type of candidate that K-12 school leaders and hiring managers should strive for. “I never hired a teacher—or a principal, for that matter,” says Domenech, a former superintendent, “unless I had the sense that this was an individual who truly cared about kids, and this wasn’t just a job for them.”

2. Make teacher training a priority

While teacher passion is essential, it needs to be supported by an understanding of how best to help students succeed in and out of the classroom.

Strong training goes beyond classroom tools and empowers teachers to understand students’ social and emotional needs.

“The day has come where school and district leaders must create professional cultures where teachers can take charge of their own adult learning,” writes former AASA superintendent of the year, Dr. Philip Lanoue. “No longer can we put everyone in a room for days of large-scale, cookie-cutter learning opportunities and check professional development off the list.”

He adds:

“Professional learning must be embedded in the everyday work school leaders and teachers do to improve learning outcomes for students and the adults who work with them…Professional development is a joint responsibility where school leaders serve as lead learners in a school culture that allows for risk-taking, which fuels innovation.”

3. Involve teachers in decision making

A survey of teachers by the Center on Education Policy found that nearly half (47 percent) felt their voices weren’t included in the school decision-making process. More than 75 percent said there voices weren’t being heard at the district level.

For teachers to truly be empowered, they need to know their voices are being heard.

To ensure teachers feel heard and valued, a growing number of school districts are embracing customer experience as a function of their HR departments.

Fort Bend ISD in Texas, for instance, launched Talent Connection. Powered by K12 Insight’s Let’s Talk! customer service solution, the online portal allows employees and prospective employees to engage the district’s HR department in conversations about important topics, such as onboarding, employee records, or benefits.

Gwyn Touchet, Fort Bend ISD’s executive director of human resources, says the portal is fueling better engagement among teachers and staff.

“The frustration on our customers’ part, from long response times or misinformation has subsided,” she says. “We’re able to provide an exceptional experience, and our customers view our department more positively now.”

4. Make teachers feel appreciated

When it comes to teacher satisfaction, a little acknowledgement can go a long way.

“Acknowledge the great work that teachers do,” says AASA’s Domenech, “and thank them for their work. Recognize them at staff meetings and in front of the community. Consider how you can reward them for a job well done, such as with bonuses and incentives.”

To learn more about how to engage and empower teachers and staff in your school or district, check out K12 Insight’s white paper, “All together now: 4 keys to better teacher engagement.”

The post Teachers are quitting at a record rate. Here’s four ways to turn the tide. appeared first on Trusted.

Teachers are quitting at a record rate. Here’s four ways to turn the tide. published first on https://medium.com/@GetNewDLBusiness

[zipgrowth]

Teachers are quitting at a record rate. Here’s four ways to turn the tide.

When it comes to teacher attrition, what once was a perpetual concern for K-12 school districts may be morphing into a flat-out crisis.

Teachers and other public education employees are leaving their jobs at the highest rate ever recorded according to a recent analysis of Federal Labor Department statistics by The Wall Street Journal.

Between October 2017 and October 2018, one million public education workers-including teachers, janitors, school counselors, and community-college faculty–quit their positions, according to recent statistics.

“In the first 10 months of 2018, public educators quit at an average rate of 83 per 10,000 a month, according to the Labor Department. While that is still well below the rate for American workers overall—231 voluntary departures per 10,000 workers in 2018—it is the highest rate for public educators since such records began in 2001.”  

An improved economy, tight labor market, and a low unemployment rate have created an environment where more workers are choosing to leave their jobs in search of new opportunities, experts say. But, the public education sector–which has long prided itself on stability and longevity–has previously not seen an exodus of this magnitude, even during strong economies.

Underappreciated or uninterested?

While these latest figures may seem shocking, they shouldn’t be news to school district leaders.

A national Gallup poll found that 83 percent of participating superintendents identified the ability to hire and maintain quality faculty as a key challenge.

Rising teacher attrition rates in recent years have been attributed to several factors, including a lack of appreciation for the time and effort required to excel as an educator, dwindling interest in the profession among college students, along with stagnant wages and resource support, as demonstrated last year during a string of teacher protests across several states.

Engaging your teachers

Fortunately, experts say there are practical steps that superintendents and principals can take to reduce teacher attrition.

Here’s just a few.

1. Hire passionate teachers

In the midst of a massive teacher shortage, it may be tempting to hire anyone and everyone who is interested in open positions at your district. That’s a mistake.

Because of the many challenges facing the teaching profession, hiring teachers who may not be all-in on the mission of your schools will inevitably lead to a less engaged faculty.

“They’re not coming into this because it’s a job, but because they really do like kids—and they want to make a difference in the lives of kids by teaching them and nurturing them,” says Dan Domenech, executive director of AASA, the School Superintendents Association, describing the type of candidate that K-12 school leaders and hiring managers should strive for. “I never hired a teacher—or a principal, for that matter,” says Domenech, a former superintendent, “unless I had the sense that this was an individual who truly cared about kids, and this wasn’t just a job for them.”

2. Make teacher training a priority

While teacher passion is essential, it needs to be supported by an understanding of how best to help students succeed in and out of the classroom.

Strong training goes beyond classroom tools and empowers teachers to understand students’ social and emotional needs.

“The day has come where school and district leaders must create professional cultures where teachers can take charge of their own adult learning,” writes former AASA superintendent of the year, Dr. Philip Lanoue. “No longer can we put everyone in a room for days of large-scale, cookie-cutter learning opportunities and check professional development off the list.”

He adds:

“Professional learning must be embedded in the everyday work school leaders and teachers do to improve learning outcomes for students and the adults who work with them…Professional development is a joint responsibility where school leaders serve as lead learners in a school culture that allows for risk-taking, which fuels innovation.”

3. Involve teachers in decision making

A survey of teachers by the Center on Education Policy found that nearly half (47 percent) felt their voices weren’t included in the school decision-making process. More than 75 percent said there voices weren’t being heard at the district level.

For teachers to truly be empowered, they need to know their voices are being heard.

To ensure teachers feel heard and valued, a growing number of school districts are embracing customer experience as a function of their HR departments.

Fort Bend ISD in Texas, for instance, launched Talent Connection. Powered by K12 Insight’s Let’s Talk! customer service solution, the online portal allows employees and prospective employees to engage the district’s HR department in conversations about important topics, such as onboarding, employee records, or benefits.

Gwyn Touchet, Fort Bend ISD’s executive director of human resources, says the portal is fueling better engagement among teachers and staff.

“The frustration on our customers’ part, from long response times or misinformation has subsided,” she says. “We’re able to provide an exceptional experience, and our customers view our department more positively now.”

4. Make teachers feel appreciated

When it comes to teacher satisfaction, a little acknowledgement can go a long way.

“Acknowledge the great work that teachers do,” says AASA’s Domenech, “and thank them for their work. Recognize them at staff meetings and in front of the community. Consider how you can reward them for a job well done, such as with bonuses and incentives.”

To learn more about how to engage and empower teachers and staff in your school or district, check out K12 Insight’s white paper, “All together now: 4 keys to better teacher engagement.”

The post Teachers are quitting at a record rate. Here’s four ways to turn the tide. appeared first on Trusted.

Teachers are quitting at a record rate. Here’s four ways to turn the tide. published first on https://medium.com/@GetNewDLBusiness

[zipgrowth]

The Biggest Challenge for District Leaders? Finding and Keeping Good Teachers

After a year of teacher-led walkouts and elevated concerns over declining teacher salaries, a new survey of school superintendents cites finding and keeping qualified teachers as their highest-priority issue.

The annual survey, conducted by Gallup, polled nearly 1,900 superintendents—about 15 percent of the country’s total—on pressing concerns, student safety and their overall optimism about the future of education and student success after high school.

72% of superintendents indicated they have little to no faith in the Trump administration’s ability to handle education policy

Largely it presents a snapshot of our time. Like other educators, superintendents are conscious of engaging students in citizenship, concerned for their safety during the school day and open to myriad possibilities about training and educating them for future jobs. They’re also attuned to today’s political climate.

“We work with superintendents on a daily basis,” says Daniel Domenech, executive director of AASA, which bills itself as the school superintendents association. “We get a pretty good sense of where they are at, and I found the report findings very much in line with what I see and hear from superintendents.”

About 72 percent of superintendents polled indicated they have little to no faith in the Trump administration’s ability to handle education policy. Yet more than half were extremely bullish about the future of their particular district.

Source: Gallup

Domenech attributes the latter to implementation of the Every Student Succeeds Act, a 2015 federal law that restored accountability measures to local control. He says that’s a welcome change from its predecessor, No Child Left Behind, which placed a premium on high-stakes testing. Similarly, the poll indicated decreasing support among superintendents on the importance of standardized testing as a measure of school effectiveness.

Teachers & Students Take the Stage

According to Gallup, more than 60 percent of superintendents strongly agreed that finding and keeping talented teachers presented a major challenge. More than half of respondents also strongly agreed that helping underperforming students and dealing with the effects of poverty were likely to be challenging as well.

“There are many states having major problems with recruiting teachers,” says Domenech, pointing that the issue is so severe it has trickled down to the way parents see the profession. He cites the recent PDK poll, which found widespread support for higher pay but also, for the first time, that a majority of parents did not want their kids to enter the profession.

Some districts have started taking proactive steps to stem the tide, says Domenech, by starting teacher training programs in high school, partnering with local colleges and helping to secure financial support for students who wish to one day teach in the local community.

Source: Gallup

Efforts to encourage middle- and high-school students to think about careers is hardly limited to teaching. More than 70 percent of respondents reported their districts had formed partnerships with local businesses to promote career or vocational training, although the trend is more prevalent in large or urban districts. About a third of superintendents said they had programs in place with companies to place students into full-time jobs right out of high school. Another 20 percent of school leaders said they were looking into such programs.

Among the top fields for district-business partnerships: manufacturing, skilled trades (particularly welding), healthcare and construction. “The stigma of trades is going away when you have welders with $70,000 starting salaries,” says Tim Hodges, Gallup’s K-12 head of research.

Mehlville School District, located in a small city south of St. Louis, is working hard to foster such partnerships, especially in healthcare, computer science and manufacturing. “We can’t meet the student demands in terms of business partners right now,” explains Chris Gaines, the district superintendent and current AASA president, who participated in the Gallup poll.

Recent events, such as the February school shooting in Parkland, Fla., may also have influenced how superintendents responded to certain questions, says Hodges. Slightly more of them are using armed security at their campuses than in years past, and there was a significant spike in the number of respondents who agreed that preparing students for engaged citizenship will be a challenge—possibly a nod to the current political climate and recent student walkouts over preventing gun violence.

Security is “something everyone is doing and talking about,” says Gaines, adding that local police are now making more regular stops by his campuses, and that the district is switching to a new visitor ID system, among various internal measures.

To Domenech, these attitudes on issues like security, teacher recruitment and stepping back from test scores reflect the fact that district leaders are headed in the right direction and putting student and staff needs first. “They’re trying to do everything they possibly can,” he says. “Teachers and staff need to know superintendents are there for them.”

The Biggest Challenge for District Leaders? Finding and Keeping Good Teachers published first on https://medium.com/@GetNewDLBusiness