Retain the Teachers, Serve the Students

Who among us doesn’t have a cherished memory of a stellar teacher who made a crucial, lasting impact on our lives or our children’s lives? Teachers shape futures. But today, California’s public schools face a growing mental health and staffing crisis that’s pushing educators out of the classroom before they can make that lasting impact.

Teacher shortages lead directly to increased class size, ill-prepared substitutes being hired, expanded inequality among disadvantaged students, and young lives missing out. What is the leading cause of the retention crisis? Chronic stress and teacher burnout. Not only are teachers leaving the most underrepresented and underfunded schools, they are leaving the profession altogether. In fact, 73% of teachers report frequent job-related stress, and 59% experience burnout. Alarmingly, 90% see burnout as a serious issue, and 1 out of every 3 teachers plan to leave by year’s end.

The overarching crises in education centers around chronic absenteeism, kids not coming to schools, and students not excelling academically. “We see a direct correlation between our student outcomes and teacher retention,” says Lindsey Fuller, The Teaching Well’s Executive Director. “Educators were once staples of our communities – but today, many don’t stay in the classroom long enough to retire. This revolving door not only disrupts student growth, it makes our communities less cohesive.”

This is where The Teaching Well comes in. Currently operating in 24 states, but based in and largely serving Oakland, The Teaching Well is devoted to providing educators with the socio-emotional and mental health support they need to thrive in an often challenging, underfunded school environment. 

The Teaching Well offers educators a range of services on the individual, interpersonal, and systemic levels – from clinical therapy to professional development and strategic planning. These retention and wellness services foster healthy ecosystems where educators remain, students succeed, and communities grow stronger.

Like everyone on The Teaching Well team, Fuller is also an educator, as well as the daughter of two teachers and a mother of three students. She’s been able to see firsthand the evolution of the teaching profession through a generational lens.

“My mother retired after 42 years as a teacher,” says Fuller. “It was a point of dignity for my mom.” But the job of being a teacher, a job that’s often considered both one of the hardest and one of the most important, is at risk of losing the very people who would normally shine in that role due to chronic stress and lack of institutional financial support.

We ask a lot of our teachers. With often minimal resources and in sometimes maximally difficult situations, we entrust our most beloved treasures to them – our children. The Teaching Well empowers them with the sustaining support, resources, and programs they need and deserve. 

Their model is working. The Teaching Well, for the 3rd consecutive year, retained 85% of educators, compared to the national average of 71% in high poverty schools. The Teaching Well knows that taking care of educators means taking care of students, which leads to thriving communities.