School Leaders' Sense-Making About Teacher Recruitment and Retention: A Cross-Case Analysis of Five School Systems

• In Event: Organizational Effects Examining Academic Achievement and Student Support

Abstract

School leaders are central to recruiting, hiring, developing, and retaining teachers; however, we know less about how school leaders make sense of and navigate challenges related to this aspect of their work. We draw on interviews with school leaders from five U.S. school systems (rural, urban, suburban, Catholic, charter) to explore how school leaders frame and approach challenges related to teacher recruitment and retention. Using sensemaking theory, our research illustrates how school leaders interpret multiple priorities and requirements in designing their responses to staffing challenges while balancing instructional quality with teacher efficacy and satisfaction. This research has important implications for districts and principal preparation programs seeking to support school leaders in building and maintaining a high-quality, committed teaching staff.

Authors

• Naomi Blaushild, Northwestern University School of Education and Social Policy Human Development and Social Policy

• Jennifer Laura Seelig, NORC at the University of Chicago