Written by Michael T. O’Connor, Ph.D., program director of outreach, Roche Center for Catholic Education, Boston College, [email protected]
August is just around the corner. Picture this: As a Catholic school leader, you are in the final days of summer “break.” Perhaps you are enjoying some family time on a final long weekend before teachers report back. Or (perhaps more likely), you are in your office reviewing student data actively preparing for the year ahead. Regardless of if it is the beach or your office, you’re feeling pretty good — confident in your faculty, your mission priorities, your academic priorities and the Catholic education experience that students and families will encounter. And then your inbox pings, you read an unexpected email, and — you’re suddenly transported into a maddening scramble for a middle school science teacher.
This is a story that I have heard time and again from Catholic school leaders (and from leaders in public, charter, independent and other private schools, too). And the story sometimes even shifts the timing to September. First, it is important to note that these situations are challenging, regardless of how ready you may be for them. What are leaders to do in these moments? Where are you going to find a science teacher this late in the game? While there are reactive decisions that are required in the moment, there are also proactive steps that can be taken months in advance to try to avoid or be prepared for such a situation.
The educator pipeline is a common term and metaphor for talent development and support in education. It encompasses the full range of the talent process from recruiting, interviewing and hiring to onboarding, supporting and retaining. A breakdown in this process, wherever it may occur, is often referred to as a “leak.” Some leaks are unstoppable rushes of water causing chaos (e.g., the middle school science teacher departure above). Some leaks may have a temporary or imperfect reprieve or solution with a piece of duct tape. And some leaks may require the wholesale replacement of the actual pipe. However the best way to avoid a leak is to ensure that strong, reliable materials are used and that the design of the pipe is built in such a way to proactively avoid potential pitfalls.
But let’s break away from this pipeline metaphor to talk about some concrete questions we can ask ourselves to help us develop a plan with our colleagues in our Catholic schools, (arch)diocesan systems or networks. While the Ws may seem like an elementary way to frame such an approach, they touch on the complexities and nuances required when discussing our educator pipelines. Reflecting on these questions can help you better understand your talent situation and your data, as opposed to grappling over “the pipeline” in the abstract.
Who
- What grade levels or content areas do we consistently staff successfully? What data do we have to support this?
- What grade levels or content areas do we consistently struggle to staff? What data do we have to support this?
- What data do we need to better assess our shortage area issues and patterns?
When
- When do we typically post open positions? What factors influence the timing?
- When do we learn if current teachers intend to stay or leave? When do we decide not to renew contracts (due to performance, etc.)?
- When is our applicant pool typically the largest for a given position? What data do we have to support this?
- When is our applicant pool typically the smallest for a given position? What data do we have to support this?
What
- What is in our job posting? Does it reflect our school mission and the type of teacher we want in our Catholic school?
- What does our compensation package look like?
- How does our compensation package compare to other schools like us in the area? (Catholic, private/independent, charter, traditional public)
- Do we have compensation offerings beyond the typical salary and benefits? (e.g., student tuition remission, IHE/EPP tuition remission, professional learning and development, childcare offerings, financial literacy and planning)
Where
- Are our teachers (current and prospective) from our local community and/or parish?
- What communities and organizations do our teachers (current and prospective) belong to?
- How can we better partner with our local parishes, organizations, and communities to recruit?
- Do we partner with local/regional institutions of higher education (IHEs) and educator preparation programs (EPPs), especially those of Catholic affiliation (such as NCEA CHESCS members)?
- Where do we post or share our open job postings? How do we post or share them?
Why
- What do our school community members believe about teaching in a Catholic school? About Catholic school teachers?
- Is teaching in a Catholic school desirable? Why or why not?
- How does our Catholic school mission and identity inform our current pipeline strategy (recruitment, retention, etc)?
- How should our Catholic mission and identity inform potential changes to our pipeline strategy?
- What makes us distinct from other schools? Do we celebrate this? Do we incorporate this into our pipeline process (e.g., recruitment, hiring)?
Reflecting on, discussing, and answering these questions can help you to develop an holistic pipelines plan. Developing a plan can help you to be prepared, but will not instantly solve every unexpected departure. The preparation and planning can help you to feel more confident about where to turn in those challenging moments. And having the tools on hand to fix the leak through your planning means the damage can be mitigated and prevented in the future.
Learn more about pipelines and talent from these articles and reports:
Edwards et al. (2024); James et al. (2023); Noonan & Bristol (2020); Ospino & Wyttenbach (2022); Wyttenbach & Ospino (2022)
Interested in learning more about educator pipelines and talent development in Catholic schools and systems? Please join me for a Professional Learning Opportunity, Exploring Innovative Educator Pipelines Strategies from Recruitment to Retention, Tuesday, August 13, 1 PM ET.
Learn more about all upcoming NCEA webinars.
