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Many districts are currently experiencing high levels of teacher attrition and are locked in a constant cycle of teacher replacement, disrupting student learning. While each district faces its own challenges, district leaders identified three key trends during the edLeader Panel “Building Systems for Results: Leadership Stories from Charlotte-Mecklenburg and Lockhart ISD” (part of Trailblazing Leadership Week, featuring insights from education leaders in the trenches of providing a high-quality learning environment for all).

1. Non-competitive pay: While what districts can offer will vary, teachers unilaterally feel like the pay structures don’t value their contributions.
2. Lack of input: Teachers want a voice in the decisions that impact them, and they often feel like they aren’t even part of the discussions.
3. Unclear professional progression: Like most, teachers want to grow in their professions, but they often struggle to see a path. Younger teachers, especially, have a new mindset on what their careers should look like.

Overall, teachers feel disposable. Thus, they continually seek new opportunities—if they even enter the classroom at all after they receive their degrees—and often look outside the classroom to find a position where they are valued. The panelists offered their strategies for transforming district culture and building an engaged and invested educator community.

Focus on Core Messaging

Both districts make sure they share a consistent “why” across their campuses.

At Lockhart Independent School District, their core values for their district, including instructional coaching, are:

• Having a Lockhart for people (showing genuine care for everyone in the community)
• Being locked on excellence
• Unlock a potential

This year, for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, all of the coaching is centered around three areas:

• Planning effectively
• Observation that validates and measures the degree to which planned instruction turns into effective instructional delivery
• Reflecting and responding to what we see in terms of student outcomes after that planned delivery

For each district, grounding teacher feedback in a trusted and familiar framework creates more buy-in.

Provide Comprehensive Professional Development

At Charlotte-Mecklenburg, they developed a system for instructional coaching that begins at the district level with a cadre of instructional specialists who support the development of school-level personnel who are outside the classroom. In turn, those building-level experts work with the classroom teachers. The goal is to build each educator’s capacity to be a highly qualified teacher.

Expand the Onboarding Process

New teachers at Charlotte-Mecklenburg come from a variety of backgrounds, some of them nontraditional. But in the past, they were all expected to master the school’s technology, values, process, etc., in a matter of days. This led to educators feeling overburdened and ill prepared, even if they had been in the classroom before.

Now, all new hires go through the Crown Academy, an 11-day event run by the district. Teachers use the technology they will use in their schools, receive training from instructional specialists, and get a firm understanding of expectations. Principals then provide onboarding for their specific schools. They try to make the experience as fun as possible, and find that many new hires start forming supportive relationships from day one.

View Principals as Instructional Leaders

The principal is the change agent with regard to instruction. Every principal in Charlotte-Mecklenburg is required to have a school improvement plan, including details on how they will ensure that all staff members are supported and coached to improve. Principals also receive ongoing, targeted coaching from the district. They work with their mentors to look at each point they want to meet and then reassess and receive more coaching for the next step.

Lockhart offers similar coaching. One essential step there was limiting the number of principals that any administrator can support. This allows the administrator to provide more in-depth assistance.

Develop Teacher-Leaders

In order to support teacher growth—and keep talent in the district—Lockhart developed the Lever Leader program. In this program, teachers can either self-identify or be selected by administrators for comprehensive leadership training. They go through a formal hiring process and develop a growth plan tailored to their interests.

Lever Leaders have reduced classroom time, but most remain active student instructors while also working with their peers to improve their skills. In addition, they receive a pay bump and get invaluable experience that they can apply if they choose to move into an administrative position.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg, likewise, has a teacher-leader pathway. There are seven different paths they can take, including becoming a full-time coach. As with Lockhart, the goal is to support teachers as they grow in their careers while retaining their expertise.

Finally, both districts looked at what they could take away from instructors and principals. So many teachers feel like change happens on top of everything else they have to do. Figuring out first what you can stop doing is a key step that many leaders forget. Instead, be intentional about teacher responsibilities and requirements. Add to that providing them with a platform to grow and build their strengths, and districts can retain their greatest assets for improving student achievement.

Learn more about this edWeb broadcast, Building Systems for Results: Leadership Stories from Charlotte-Mecklenburg and Lockhart ISD, presented by ERDI.

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Article by Stacey Pusey, based on this edLeader Panel