Staffing for Success: What Education Leaders Should Do Before Summer Break

It’s only April, you’re thinking. August feels a million miles away. But...

For school systems and education organizations, the runway to the next school year is short, and the to-do list is long.

One of the most important responsibilities of an educational leader is staffing. The quality of the people in your building determines the quality of education students receive. Research and experience consistently point to one truth: a high-quality teacher is the most effective in-school factor influencing student outcomes.

Here’s what you need to address before you leave for summer break.

Who Is Actually Coming Back?

Most education organizations sent out intent-to-return memos months ago. I regret to inform you that these memos may not be worth the paper they were printed on. (Also, please consider switching to digital forms. No one wants to re-enter that data into a spreadsheet for analysis.)

Teachers job hunt during Presidents Day weekend, spring break, and even the last boring PD session. Do you know who is truly returning? Plan for some atrophy and adjust your recruitment strategy accordingly.

You already know what you want your academic year to look like and the outcomes you want for students. Now examine your staff roster for gaps. Think of yourself as an orchestra conductor managing a big band. If you only had bass guitars and no trumpets or trombones, you would not be able to play the full range of music your audience loves. Staffing works the same way.

Ask yourself:

• Do you have strong teachers in every subject area?

• Are you balancing strengths and personalities?

• Does your team include big-picture thinkers and detail-oriented planners?

Your students are not identical. They bring a wide range of personalities, learning styles, and lived experiences. When students see parts of themselves reflected in their teachers, connection grows. That connection is a powerful driver of engagement and achievement.

Plan for Longevity, Not Just Vacancies

Effective staffing requires long-term thinking. Are you recruiting new educators and developing them for leadership? Retirement is inevitable. As much as we love our third-grade instructional lead who started with chalkboards, adapted to whiteboards, and now thrives with smartboards, she will not teach forever.

You need a plan to recruit and train the next generation.

A practical way to set recruitment goals is to analyze your average institutional tenure (how long one person stays at your site before they quit):

• If the average employee stays 10 years, plan for roughly 10 percent annual attrition.

• If the average tenure is 5 years, plan for 20 percent annual attrition.

Using data to anticipate staffing needs helps prevent last-minute hiring crises.

Addressing the Teacher Retention Challenge

I am not naive about the challenges facing the education workforce. National reports continue to highlight declining teacher retention. This is a complex issue, and systemic solutions may take years. But leaders cannot afford to wait. Here are three actions you can take now.

1. Invest in Growing Your Own Teachers

Start a future educators club. Support graduates pursuing education degrees. Upskill paraprofessionals already serving students.

Most teachers knew early on that they wanted to teach. Capitalize on that passion. Make it easy for future educators to return after college. A veteran kindergarten aide transitioning into a lead teacher role often has a smoother path than a brand-new teacher relocating from out of state.

You can explore grow-your-own strategies through organizations like Reach University.

2. Reduce Everyday Frustrations

Some teachers leave because of salary or benefits. Do not let them leave because the copy machine is always broken.

Ask teachers about their smallest daily frustrations. Gather the list, prioritize it, and start solving problems. Removing minor barriers sends a powerful message: we respect your time.

3. Take Professional Development Seriously

Professional development is not a box-checking exercise. It should directly support teachers’ real challenges in curriculum and instruction.

Avoid sending teachers to the same sessions repeatedly. Align PD to instructional goals and classroom needs.

Our colleagues at Watershed Advisors have a table of implementation tools that support alignment strategies for teacher professional development. Here at Instructional Data Solutions, we created a Professional Development tracker that automatically collects and analyzes teacher PD attendance information. Teachers complete an online form to record attendance at PD sessions. That data is then rolled up immediately into a system-level/CMO-level summary (Summary tab) or individual site-level summaries (School tabs). 

Final Thoughts

How are you preparing your staffing strategy for the summer?

Join the conversation on social media and share the strategies your system is using during this critical season. 

About Instructional Data Solutions: Our mission is to remove barriers to enable education organizations to focus on what matters most. We assist school systems and education organizations of all sizes by collecting, analyzing, and clearly communicating data. We are committed to empowering educators through comprehensive data analytics and tailored support. Additionally, we provide dedicated support for operational needs, process improvement, and special projects, offering customized solutions to enhance effectiveness and success. Our solutions bridge the gap between data collection and instructional improvement in PK-12 settings.