Why Teachers Leave Teaching — and How to Support and Retain Them

Amid the extraordinary challenges of the past two years, teachers have been innovative, flexible, and brave. But in many cases, they've also been pushed to their limits — leading to well-documented concerns about burnout and a large-scale exodus from the teaching profession. Join us to talk about whether and why teachers are leaving the profession, and how to address and fix the underlying causes. What are the strains teachers have always faced? Did the pandemic add new pressures — or just exacerbate the existing ones? What does recovery look like?

Speakers include:

• Heather Hill, Hazen-Nicoli Professorship and Faculty Co-Chair, Teaching and Teacher Leadership (TTL), Harvard Graduate School of Education
• Carolyn Silva-Sánchez, Teacher/ESL + Reading, Boston Public Schools

Host: Uche Amaechi, Lecturer on Education, Harvard Graduate School of Education

Key takeaways and prompts for action:

• Effective leadership is key to teacher satisfaction.​
• Transparent communication throughout a crisis (or anytime) makes teachers feel supported.​
• Prioritize the development of clear and consistent practices and policies in your school.​
• Prioritize the autonomy, leadership skills, and pedagogical decision-making skills of your teaching force.​

Resources:

• Structural Supports to Promote Teacher Well-Being, from the Ed Research for Recovery Project
• The Teaching Profession Playbook, from the Partnership for the Future of Learning