Teacher Retention Academy says schools should study why teachers stay

Teacher Retention Academy founder Dr. Mary Rivers says schools and districts should look beyond exit reasons and study the teachers who remain to improve retention. The Oct. 7 statement in Victorville, California, argues that stronger support for new and alternatively certified teachers could shape who stays in the profession for years.

Why it matters: - Teacher retention affects staffing stability, school culture, and student continuity. - Dr. Mary Rivers argues that schools can learn as much from teachers who stay as from those who leave. - The approach could help schools build support systems that keep new and alternatively certified teachers in the profession longer.

What happened: - Teacher Retention Academy released a statement on Oct. 7 from Victorville, California, focused on teacher retention across the career continuum. - Founder Dr. Mary Rivers said schools should ask why teachers stay, not only why they leave. - Rivers said teachers who remain in their schools can offer insight into the leadership practices, working conditions, relationships, and experiences that support long-term careers. - Teacher Retention Academy said the early years of teaching are a critical period for retention.

The details: - Rivers said new and alternatively certified teachers enter education with different backgrounds, preparation, strengths, and support needs. - The organization said schools should not assume every beginning teacher needs the same support. - Rivers said hiring a new teacher should be the beginning of an investment, not the end of the hiring process. - The academy pointed to mentoring, strong administrator and colleague relationships, practical instructional support, realistic expectations, opportunities to ask for help, meaningful feedback, professional growth, and a workplace culture of belonging as retention supports. - The statement said alternatively certified teachers may bring significant professional and life experience while also needing help in areas unique to teaching. - The academy said experienced teachers who stay can help schools understand what supports longevity and can help newer colleagues navigate the realities of teaching. - Teacher Retention Academy provides professional learning, consultation, resources, and practical strategies for educational leaders. - The organization said its work examines the full teacher experience, from entry into the profession through the conditions that support long-term careers. - The academy’s stated focus is strengthening leadership, workplace culture, teacher support, and the systems that help educators thrive and remain in the profession. - Contact information listed for Dr. Mary Rivers included +1 760-963-6351. - The release pointed readers to more information. - The release also listed social links for Mary Rivers on LinkedIn and Teacher Retention Academy on YouTube.

Between the lines: - The statement frames retention as a systems problem, not just a recruiting problem. - The message also suggests that schools may miss useful lessons if they focus only on departures instead of studying the conditions that keep teachers in place. - The emphasis on individualized support reflects a broader argument against one-size-fits-all induction for new teachers.

What's next: - Teacher Retention Academy says schools and districts should connect lessons from experienced teachers with support for new teachers. - Rivers says the future of retention depends on how schools support teachers at the start of their careers. - The organization plans to continue offering professional learning and practical strategies aimed at helping educators stay in the profession.

The bottom line: - Teacher Retention Academy’s core message is simple: if schools want teachers to stay, they need to study the teachers who already do.