How can education leaders prepare for success in the second half of the school year?

The beginning of the calendar year is a great opportunity for education leaders to reflect on progress toward goals for the school year and how best to support their staff’s success. This year we’ve had the honor of working with the Steans Family Foundation’s North Lawndale Reads Program, a network of principals in North Lawndale Chicago who are all working to strengthen the recruitment and retention of their talented educators. We wanted to share some of the key best practices that we’ve been discussing together with them.

Tip 1: Thank your team for their work during the first half of the year. Find ways to celebrate staff as they return from Winter Break. It’s never too late to show your appreciation to educators.

Tip 2: Schedule individual mid-year conversations with staff to reflect on how the year is going. This is a great opportunity to learn individuals’ career aspirations, and to gauge your staff’s intentions to stay with your school in the coming year.

Tip 3: If you haven’t yet, make sure that your top staff members know they are valuable and why. Provide opportunities for recognition and/or increased leadership roles aligned with their development goals.

Tip 4: Plan for your recruitment needs holistically. Consider the relative strengths and needs among your staff. As you plan for anticipated vacancies, consider how to use those vacancies to round out the skillset across your workforce.