By Robin Winder, Chief Academic Officer, FlexPoint

Teacher shortages have been a major challenge for administrators in recent years. New data shows that we should also be concerned about other roles in the Kindergarten-12th grade workforce: school leadership. Specifically, principals and superintendents. 

According to a research brief by RAND Corporation, 16% of principals left their schools in the 2021-22 school year. Plus, a poll conducted by education company EAB found that 46% of superintendents are considering or planning to leave their role in the next two to three years. The reasons for this exodus vary - from staffing shortage challenges, threats to their safety, political debates, budget constraints, and retirement. 

As former teachers, assistant principals, and principals, we know that navigating new responsibilities and roles can only be effective when the right systems of support are in place. That’s why it is critical for schools to create a culture of growth that includes specialized support and sets clear expectations for school leaders - from rigorous training and onboarding, to mentorship programs, and intentional professional development. 

Here are four ways your school or district can support leaders to retain talent. 

1. Provide comprehensive onboarding training

The first way to retain talent is to do a week-long onboarding training that includes an overview of your organization’s culture, how to build relationships and engage with teachers online, and how to utilize the systems you use to teach, monitor data, and communicate with students. 

During this week, involve all of your instructional leadership to ensure principals feel prepared and supported. This training can be virtual or face-to-face, but we recommend meeting in person so that your cohort of new hires can collaborate and spend quality time with their leaders. 

During their first month, train new principals and instructional leaders on what data to look at including how to monitor classrooms and individual student reports. Be intentional when coaching leaders and set clear expectations on what they need to accomplish in the first 30, 60, and 90 days. The goal is to gradually release new leaders into the work environment, giving them time to ask questions and receive the feedback and help they need to thrive. 

2. Develop mentorship programs

Building connections within your school leadership team is essential for creating and maintaining a successful learning environment. One way to develop a community of leaders is by pairing experienced instructional leaders with your new hires, allowing them to exchange ideas, observe work, and receive feedback. 

Although these partnerships should be established early in the onboarding process, the mentoring continues far beyond initial training. We encourage our leadership team to lean on one another throughout their entire careers. This collaboration is crucial to their individual development and the success of our schools. 

3. Create a talent pipeline of teachers who want to become school leaders

Part of our leadership team’s culture is to speak to our instructors about future aspirations they have for leadership roles or new experiences. If their future goal is to become a school leader, the principal or instructional leader can recommend they participate in our Aspiring Leaders program, which explores what it takes to be part of the instructional leadership team. 

Aspiring Leaders is an annual, application-based program where participants learn about leadership responsibilities in instruction and beyond. The program culminates with a project where participants collaborate to solve a current challenge. The project is presented to leadership, where they receive feedback and any recommended changes or process improvements. While this program is not a requirement for a teacher to apply to a management position, it is a great opportunity for them to understand what their future role could look like and if it’s the right fit for them. 

4. Provide intentional professional development opportunities 

It’s critical that your school or district continues to provide school leaders (and all staff) with professional development and learning opportunities. We bring our school leaders together for face-to-face meetings four times a year. These purposeful professional development opportunities allow us to share best practices and provide structured time for collaboration. School leaders are afforded the opportunity to hear from their peers about important topics like school improvement, data driven decision making, innovation, and much more.

Additionally, once a year, our entire organization participates in an organization-wide professional learning conference which delivers a dynamic growth opportunity for teachers and support staff. During this event, we have expert guest speakers and our own staff present in innovative breakout sessions covering the latest trends in online education. The conference also provides the opportunity for team members to share ideas and best practices on how to continue working together to move the industry forward. 

When developing strong school leaders, it’s important to provide support and make sure you are setting them up for success. This could be through professional development and training opportunities, mentorship programs, weekly check-ins, and open communication. 

If you’re interested in learning more about the professional development opportunities we provide to ensure school leaders and teachers across the nation are set up for success, connect with us at flexpointeducation.com/contact.