Preventing Burnout and #Resignation: Investing in Teacher Coaching and Support

Teacher retention is anticipated to become one of the biggest challenges in K–12 education in 2023. As more and more teachers join the ranks of individuals who see #resignation as the only option, they have expressed frustration with the lack of support in “one and done” professional development. Without a clear trajectory for career advancement or opportunities to connect and learn together, morale dips and other job opportunities look more appealing. What’s needed now are professional growth opportunities throughout a teacher’s career along with mentoring and coaching that support mental health, collegial connection and the development of new classroom techniques. As states and districts continue to invest ESSER funds to accelerate equitable learning loss recovery, teacher support is rising to the top as a key strategy to retain the good teachers that students need. Innovative models for coaching and mentoring have emerged and solution providers are partnering with districts to engage teachers in comprehensive cohorts where they have the opportunity to learn from one another and from expert, experienced educators. Please join us on February 28, from 3–4:30 p.m. ET, when I and other leaders of teacher coaching and mentoring programs will share how we are working with districts to make the most of their investments to accelerate learning by providing mentoring and professional growth opportunities for teachers. This session continues CGLR’s series exploring “smart ESSER investments,” following a session in mid-December that reviewed state and local investments to identify how the $190 billion is being spent. We will have the opportunity to learn about several approaches that promote teacher retention and motivation for a lifetime commitment to the most important career choice. In addition, we will hear from state and district leaders about their investments in teacher coaching and what it looks like on the ground.