Despite rising demand and attrition, hiring lags To help school districts stem the wave of potential departures now and launch themselves on a more sustainable path for the future, this article examines the main talent challenges districts currently face and offers a strategic blueprint that leaders and school systems could consider for attracting and retaining more K–12 educators. Furthermore, almost three-quarters of respondents who plan to leave cite an unmanageable workload, while nearly three-quarters of those who plan to stay say their workload is manageable.

For example, our research found that more than half of teachers say that compensation is driving them out the door, while more than a third say it’s why they are, instead, sticking with teaching. Indeed, a deeper inspection of the data reveals significant nuances in what motivates educators to stay or leave. There is no easy fix for lowering teacher turnover rates. While this stated intention to leave has historically not panned out, it suggests an unhealthiness to the profession that administrators should be mindful of. 2 Jake Bryant, Emma Dorn, Stephen Hall, and Frédéric Panier, “ Reimagining a more equitable and resilient K–12 education system,” McKinsey, September 8, 2020. Our research also revealed that this pending turnover could further exacerbate inequality, hampering efforts to create more resilient and equitable K–12 education systems. That equates to roughly 900,000 teachers across the nation. Approximately one-third of respondents said they planned to leave their role before the next school year began. To improve our understanding of what makes K–12 teachers want to stay, leave, or return to their jobs, McKinsey surveyed more than 1,800 US educators, school leaders, and school mental health professionals at the end of the 2021–22 school year (see sidebar “About the research”). And the COVID-19 pandemic has only compounded the nation’s education talent challenges. When school districts can’t attract and retain enough teachers, students suffer. Are you searching the right talent pools?,” McKinsey Quarterly, July 13, 2022.

1 Aaron De Smet, Bonnie Dowling, Bryan Hancock, and Bill Schaninger, “ The Great Attrition is making hiring harder. This research was done in conjunction with the broader Great Attrition, Great Attraction Survey of more than 13,000 employees across 16 industries. Our survey respondents came from elementary, middle, and high schools in urban, suburban, and rural locations and serve public, charter, and private (religious and nonreligious) schools. To better understand what spurs voluntary attrition and other shifts in the K–12 workforce, we surveyed more than 1,800 educators between February 2022 and May 2022, including teachers, mental-health service providers, and school leaders.

If I Ever by S.E. Jakes