Understanding Teacher Workforce Dynamics: Insights From North Carolina School Districts

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Wednesday 12:40 pm Four Seasons Ballroom 1
  In Roundtable Session: Educator Shortages: Understanding the Prevalence, Causes, and Policy Solutions (Table 12)

Abstract

Understanding teacher recruitment, retention, and attrition is crucial for effective school district management. This study, focusing on public schools in North Carolina, draws on survey data from human resource directors and uses latent class analysis to identify various profiles of human resource management strategies across districts. The research uncovers two distinct recruitment profiles: Incentive Recruitment and Standard Recruitment, and two retention profiles: Holistic Retention and Focused/Targeted Support Retention. Significant associations between recruitment and retention strategies suggests that districts with aligned approaches are better positioned to attract and retain teachers. These findings provide actionable insights for policymakers and district administrators, emphasizing the need for integrated and context-specific approaches to improve teacher workforce stability.

Authors

• T. Scott Holcomb, Wake County Public School System

• Lorrie Schmid, Duke University