A Teacher Retention Problem

Becky earned her doctoral degree in education administration from Bethel University and holds a specialist and master of education administration degree from Minnesota State University, Mankato, along with a bachelor of science degree in elementary education from Southwest Minnesota State University, Marshall.

Ryan Siegle, EdD, currently serves as a classroom teacher for Independent School District 318 in Grand Rapids, Minnesota. He is passionate about transforming school and classroom cultures and believes in the need for supporting both the whole child and the whole teacher. His focus areas of research include leadership factors influencing the retention of teachers, servant leadership, trust, school culture, and school climate. Ryan has been highly involved in teacher retention and mentorship at the school, district, and state levels. He has experience working with both teachers and educational leaders on the topic of teacher retention, support, and building teacher self-efficacy. Ryan has most recently provided formal presentations and training for school districts and professional organizations examining the impact of teacher turnover and how leaders can address this issue within their schools. He has also helped influence state-level policy decisions, focusing specifically on best practice teaching induction and mentoring.

Ryan holds a doctoral degree in education administration from Bethel University in St. Paul, Minnesota. He has also earned a master’s of curriculum and instruction from St. Catherine University in St. Paul, Minnesota, and a bachelor of arts degree in elementary education from Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota.

To book Becky Evers-Gerdes or Ryan Siegle for professional development, contact pd@SolutionTree.com.

Introduction What Will Be Your Legacy?

Are you on this planet to do something, or are you here just for something to do? If you’re on this planet to do something, then what is it? What difference will you make? What will be your legacy?

—James M. Kouzes and Barry Posner

The new school gymnasium was packed for the event. The pep band blared music, a buzz of laughter and conversation filled the air, and the crowd eagerly anticipated the start of the evening. Have you ever been to an event like this—immersed in an atmosphere so palpable you could almost feel it? This was one of those nights. This was a night many had waited for. A night to celebrate and to honor an individual who had made a difference in all of their lives.

Trying to fully comprehend how one man could have such a monumental impact on an individual, a school, and a community, Ryan stood watching, staring at the crowd. It was a crowd that filled the stands from the basketball floor to the top of the bleachers. A crowd of people coming from near and far. A crowd of rich and poor. A crowd of young and old. A crowd with one common thread—a teacher, their leader, who had made each and every one of them feel like they were the most important person in the world.

In the minutes to come, members from that crowd would walk down, one by one, and share their stories, celebrating their long-time leader and the contribution he made to the school community he had served. They would speak of his leadership,

selflessness, and service, and how he was authentic to the core. They would mention his character and his ability to see potential in others even when they didn’t see it in themselves. They would remark on his uncanny aptitude to unite a group of individuals under one common purpose. But, most importantly, they would reflect on his legacy and how it was ingrained in the culture and character of the school and community. It was because of this legacy that the school community was proud to unveil the name of the building that night—his name, Ryan’s grandfather’s name, set to adorn the side of the building for generations to come.

There are certain leaders we as educators come across in life who have a unique ability to empower us to become the best version of ourselves. These leaders find a way to meet us at our own level, guiding us to believe in ourselves, supporting our unique path and purpose, and helping us to discover the innate value in others. Eventually, these leaders transcend time and leave the kind of legacy that packs the house in a gymnasium, influences the naming of a building, or is ingrained in the culture of a school.

We define a school leader’s legacy as:

The lasting impact a school leader has made on the daily beliefs, actions, and interactions of those they are privileged to serve, including the collective school community and the individuals within it

Have you ever wondered how one person can leave such a legacy—one that positively reaches the lives of hundreds, if not thousands of people? Have you considered your legacy and what you will leave behind? Your legacy will not come from your achievements, title, or positional power, or from how you climbed the professional ladder. Your legacy does not hinge on your success with student achievement numbers, attendance records, or graduation rates. Instead, your legacy remains within and through the people that you serve long after you’re gone. But, if people don’t remain, it doesn’t matter what you do. Your legacy depends on the collective group existing and sustaining within that community. In large part, your legacy is dependent on the issue of teacher retention.

A Teacher Retention Problem

Each year new teachers enter the teaching profession with a sense of eagerness and anticipation with the hope of making a difference and changing the world. Yet, within a few short years, many of these same teachers leave the profession disillusioned and disheartened, ultimately packing their bags in search of a new career where they feel