A recent report from EdChoice, The Private School Teacher Skills Gap: What K-12 Private School Educators Know and What They Need to Know, sheds some light on the deficiencies many private schools have when it comes to recruiting, nurturing, and retaining quality, mission-appropriate teachers.
The report was based on a survey of teachers and administrators in Arizona, Iowa, and South Carolina. The survey participants—a total of 3,720—were split evenly between teachers and their administrators across the three states. The results were used by EdChoice in their support of the choice movement. Not surprisingly, the report gives great emphasis to professional development—for both teachers and school leaders.
Concerning the onboarding process, those taking part in the survey said that professional development was the tool used most often to integrate them into school culture and curriculum. The survey also indicated that:
- 69% of the respondents said that their school provided professional development workshops and events;
- 44% said that the training period for new faculty members and administrators lasts six months to a year; and
- 50% said that new School Heads and teachers need professional development in “parental engagement, classroom management, and team building techniques.”
The teachers surveyed said they didn’t receive training in these top six areas:
- “learning on the job” (29%);
- “managing classrooms” (28%);
- “communication skills” (27%);
- “being flexible” (25%);
- “being tech savvy” (25%); and
- “modeling faith in action” (25%—many of the schools surveyed were religiously affiliated).
When it comes to professional development, the largest group of survey respondents (78% of the 266 who answered the question) said they preferred workshops and events. Approximately half of the respondents supported online courses and continuing education within higher education programs. Concerning the unique cultures of private schools, the survey respondents expressed the “need to be entrepreneurial, to understand school budgets and accounting and finance, to have good public relations skills, and to have the ability to teach multiple subjects.”
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Clearly, our schools must plan and provide professional development opportunities that focus on the specific skills each teacher requires for growth and renewal. But the report also concludes: “Any effort to use professional development should be undertaken with an eye to cost and with a rigorous evaluation component to make sure it is meeting its goals.”
In this sense, the EdChoice report reflects ISM’s Comprehensive Faculty Development and Teaching Excellence process. In ISM’s system, professional development is paired with predictable and supportive evaluation. Appropriate integration of such a process can help your school attract, retain, develop, reward, and inspire your faculty and staff members.
ISM often finds that private-independent schools still underfund professional development, perhaps unaware of its importance and thus downplaying it in the budget. As a Trustee, ensure the Board earmarks enough resources for professional development for all school employees. The difference could be a vibrant school culture rather than one that’s simply “going through the motions.”
As with all operations and budget expenses, systematic movement of the professional development budget line must be formulated during the quadrennial strategic planning activity. Make sure you include specific (financial) proposals in support of all personnel professional development. Highlight professional development—including your own—throughout the full range of your school’s teaching and nonteaching staff. The long-term beneficiaries will be your school’s students—present and future.
