Faculty burnout is a systemic challenge with steep consequences. To remain sustainable, independent schools must take proactive steps to support and retain their educators.
Terry Moore, ISM Senior Executive Consultant
Independent schools are proud of their faculty, and rightly so. They are the backbone of the mission, the daily presence that turns values into lived experience. But right now, too many of them are exhausted. And the data is catching up to what many of us have been saying for some time: burnout is no longer episodic or anecdotal. It's systemic.
In 2025, a RAND survey reported that 60% of K–12 educators are experiencing burnout. Seven percent left the profession entirely in 2023–24 — not transferred, not changed schools, but walked away.
Within independent schools, the numbers look slightly better but not meaningfully different: 82% of faculty remained at their school, while 12% exited the profession.
The message is clear. We are operating in a high-demand, low-reserve environment, and that model isn’t sustainable.
A Crisis With Real Costs
Retention isn't just a human issue; it’s an operational and financial one. Replacing a single teacher costs $20,000 to $30,000 when recruitment, onboarding, and lost continuity are taken into account.
Those who stay are not always fully present: 44% of teachers report frequent burnout. For private school faculty, who often manage additional responsibilities, higher parent engagement, and extracurricular expectations, the pressure is even more acute.
So what do we do? Forward-looking schools need to make meaningful adjustments.
Strategic Shifts That Make a Difference
AI as a Tool for Teacher Wellbeing
Technology integration has become more than a buzzword. When used well, AI-supported administrative tools and unified student information systems are giving teachers six to eight more hours a week. That time isn’t just about logistics; it’s about breathing room, professional clarity, and emotional resilience.
Intentional Engagement
Schools that invest in intentional engagement strategies — coaching, recognition, transparency — are seeing more than 60% improvement in faculty retention outcomes.
Compensation that Reflects Commitment
Compensation, too, is rising to the forefront. Benchmarking salaries within peer groups and tying them to cost-of-living realities reinforces more than fairness: It reaffirms commitment.
Increasingly, there is also a call to benchmark faculty compensation against similarly educated professionals in other fields. If independent schools want to attract and retain top talent, they must ensure that a career in teaching is not a financial sacrifice when compared to roles requiring comparable credentials and expertise
To Protect Your Mission, Protect Your People
The lesson is this: retention is not just about keeping people. It's about building the kind of culture and systems that make them want to stay. The financial cost of faculty turnover is measurable, but the cultural and pedagogical costs run even deeper.
About the Author (H5)
Terry Moore is Senior Executive Consultant and Editor-in-Chief of Ideas & Perspectives, ISM's flagship research and advisory publication. His consultation specialties include strategic planning, financial aid, and school operations.
Prior to joining ISM as a consultant in 2002, Terry was a founder and served on the Board of Directors at Trinity Academy in North Carolina. He also served as Head of Finance, Operations, and Advancement at St. Mary’s School in California.
