Every May and June, millions of K-12 educators leave their employment, either to transfer to another school within their district, teach in another district, or retire from the teaching profession. Their decision is correctly influenced by the principal’s effectiveness. 

So, what do principals do to entice their teachers to leave? Continue reading to find out.

Mistake number one is to set goals or expectations that are inconsistent. Consider this: You suggest that teachers implement a zero-tolerance policy for bullying, swearing, and fighting. When you are flooded with learner referrals, though, you advise instructors to take a more casual approach. This will irritate instructors and give the appearance that you are unwilling to be strict with punishment. Your inconsistency makes their lives a living misery since it makes it difficult for them to keep order in their classroom. They move on when they reach a point of exhaustion

What steps can you take to avoid this situation?

When you set objectives or goals for educators, make sure you stick to them. Your staff will feel more safe if you are upfront and consistent with your expectations. This will make your school building a lot more appealing.

Mistake 2: Placing people in inappropriate jobs. Assume you conduct an interview with a teacher who was trained as a lower elementary school teacher. If you hire them for that position and they state that the K-3 grade level is where they feel most at ease, believe them. Don’t try to shift them to upper elementary because you did a terrible job hiring over the off-season. If you do, you will discover that, ironically, they will be the ones moving at the end of the year, but they will be moving on.

What can you do to avoid this situation? 

Be open and honest about the grade level and topic area for which you are recruiting an educator. Let them know if you believe there is a chance they will end up working in a different grade or subject. If you need to change their roles, they’ll be more open to the idea because they knew it was a possibility.

Mistake number three is failing to foster a psychologically safe school culture. Unfortunately, some schools are hostile environments. So if you notice educators and staff members being overly agreeable or quiet during staff meetings, that’s a bad sign. When educators are afraid that their ideas or constructive criticism will be greeted with reprisal, they prefer to keep their lips shut in order to avoid becoming targets. Educators become less successful and fail to flourish in a psychologically hazardous classroom. Because of this, they move on.

How can you avoid this situation? 

Create a school atmosphere in which pupils feel comfortable sharing their thoughts, opinions, and constructive criticism. This fosters a psychologically safe school environment.

Mistake 4: Creating an overly safe school culture. A healthy amount of pressure in the classroom is necessary for educator growth. When educators are under excessive pressure to improve standardized exam scores, they lose sight of what is important and are more likely to achieve results by any means necessary, including cheating. On the other hand, if educators do not feel any pressure, they may become complacent, stifling their professional growth. When educators are unable to find meaning in their work or do not believe they are growing or making a difference, they leave.

What steps can you take to avoid this situation? You want to establish a safe school climate, but you don’t want to foster a culture in which students say whatever comes to mind. Even if they are correct, some things should be left unsaid. People must also feel a moderate amount of pressure in order to perform well. If not, at least half of them will take advantage of the circumstance by exerting the least amount of energy or effort feasible. Educators must be held accountable for how their students perform, and only a high-stakes school culture can accomplish this.

What did I overlook?