S4 Episode 4: Keeping Teachers in the Profession

Two words: teacher retention. If there was a fairy godmother or magic genie in the world of Arizona education, this might be the first wish we’d want granted. Today, Danielle and Angelia talk about the supports that have kept them in the profession. The #3PsinaPod hosts hear from Arizona State University’s Senior Policy Analyst at the Morrison Institute for Public Policy, Dan Hunting. The principal author of “Finding and Keeping Educators for Arizona’s Classrooms” explains the outcomes of the report, including several elements that impact teacher retention. Be it matchmaking, community building, or teacher pay, one thing is for sure — ridding educator turnover will take more than assigning mentors at the beginning of the school year. Hunting offers his recommendations and advocates for formalized support programs. Even more, he rallies for a sharp cultural shift that would reclaim education as an “esteemed, high-status profession.”