Philadelphia Talent Coalition Releases Strategies on How to Increase Teacher Retention
New Report Outlines Key Tools for Schools to Retain Newer and BIPOC Teachers
Philadelphia, PA – October 23, 2024 – Today, the Philadelphia Citywide Talent Coalition released a comprehensive report offering strategic solutions to tackle the critical issues of teacher retention and diversity in Philadelphia’s district and charter schools. Despite notable progress, the urgent need to accelerate efforts to retain newer teachers and teachers of color remains a priority for schools across the city.
The report highlights the alarming trends of teacher attrition in Philadelphia, particularly among BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) teachers and newer educators. With only 35% of the teacher workforce identifying as people of color—compared to 86% of the student population—schools face a significant challenge in building a more representative and effective teaching force. Further compounding the issue, newer teachers and teachers of color are leaving the profession at higher rates than their counterparts.
The Citywide Talent Coalition has developed a “Teacher Retention Toolbox” with four key strategies to help schools retain their most vulnerable teachers. The strategies are:
- Boost New Teacher Salaries & Financial Incentives: Raise salaries and offer bonuses, loan forgiveness, and certification reimbursements to attract and retain teachers.
- Modernize the Profession: Create a dynamic workplace environment that offers teachers opportunities for leadership, team-based structures, and utilizes cutting-edge technologies.
- Enhance Professional Supports: Provide targeted training, mentoring, and coaching to help teachers meet the challenges of educating students in under-resourced communities.
- Create Inclusive School Cultures: Support school leaders to build school cultures that are welcoming and supportive, particularly for teachers of color, through affinity groups and peer networks.
Scott Gaiber, Deputy Chief of Talent Initiatives of Elevate 215—the backbone organization of the Coalition—highlighted the importance of taking action: “The strategies in this report give schools a powerful opportunity to tailor retention efforts to their unique needs, with examples of concrete strategies, many of which are already happening in pockets across the city. While progress has been made, we must continue to amplify our collective efforts to ensure schools better retain new teachers and teachers of color who are making a difference for students.”
The report calls on schools and school systems to take immediate action by assessing their current efforts and leveraging the resources within the Toolbox to improve retention of newer teachers and teachers of color. Among the actionable steps, schools are encouraged to use the teacher retention assessment tool provided to identify where to begin and prioritize efforts based on their unique needs.
The School District of Philadelphia sees the report as a critical resource. "This report provides the practical tools and data-backed strategies that will help us not only maintain the progress we've made but accelerate our efforts in creating a stable and diverse workforce," said Dr. Michael Farrell, Chief Learning Officer, School District of Philadelphia. "With these resources in hand, we're better positioned to support our teachers, especially those just starting their careers and those who bring invaluable perspectives to our classrooms."
Serena Amos, Chief People Officer at Mastery Charter Schools, emphasized the value of the report's insights in bolstering their current retention efforts to retain new teachers and teachers of color: “The data, research, and examples in this report allows us to identify where we already have strengths and provides a roadmap for future planning. With these resources, we can focus on implementing additional efforts that directly support teacher retention and make both an immediate and long-term impact.”
“For smaller school organizations like ours, having access to the data, research and strategies from other schools across the city is a game-changer,” said Mercedes Mason de Gomez, Director of Talent Management, Pan American Academy Charter School. “These tools to assess and improve our teacher retention and certification efforts are a prime example of how the Coalition’s support has been instrumental in empowering all schools.”
For more information and to access the full report, visit the website.
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Philadelphia Citywide Talent Coalition
The Philadelphia Citywide Talent Coalition is a group composed of representatives from 35 organizations from across a diverse range of sectors—education, nonprofit, civic, research, and philanthropy—to collectively work on implementing strategies from a citywide talent plan to increase the diversity and effectiveness of Philadelphia’s teachers. Elevate 215 serves as the organizational backbone and convener of the Coalition.