By 2030, Gen Z will make up about 30 percent of the nation’s workforce. These young people represent the future of education, and K-12 leaders need a comprehensive plan for attracting and retaining them.
As superintendent of Bellwood School District 88 near Chicago, I believe teaching can be an attractive career choice for today’s youth. I’m proud that 21 Gen Z teachers (11 percent of our instructional staff) are working at Bellwood, where nearly all our students are identified as low-income. Here are five strategies I’ve found to be effective in recruiting and retaining Gen Z educators.
First, we used the shortage we experienced as an opportunity to innovate. Like many districts nationwide, we saw our teacher retention rate plummet during COVID. At the start of the 2020-21 school year, 48 of Bellwood’s 167 full-time educators did not return. But because the administration sought new ways to position Bellwood as an employer of choice, the retention rate increased from 71 percent in 2020 to 79 percent in 2022. In 2023, it reached a seven-year high of 87.5 percent.
We reimagined classrooms to make them more functional and inviting for teachers and students. We also expanded recruitment by teaming up with the teachers union and local colleges. In partnership with BloomBoard, we launched a “grow your own” talent initiative this year, which aims to create a diverse pipeline of future educators from within the community by developing a residency-like advancement program. One candidate piloted the program last school year, nine candidates began the certification program this fall and 10 will enter the cohort in spring 2025. One of the administrative assistants in the program has already transitioned to a teaching role.
Second, we’re making sure young people know that teaching is a largely stable career that brings significant value to society. Education is one of the most secure professions available, with high demand across the country for qualified teachers — especially in hard-to-fill subject areas like special education, bilingual education, and math. But in the 2020–21 school year, just 591,000 students were enrolled in teacher preparation programs, a decline of nearly 33 percentfrom 2010-11.
In Bellwood, teaching is seen as a way to give back to the community. Many of the staff have deep roots here, and 38 have been with the district for more than 10 years. Some have spent as many as 20 years here. This commitment is a powerful draw for those who value purpose-driven work. Bellwood’s “grow your own” program shows prospective teachers that the district is invested in their success, which encourages them to invest in their students in turn.
Third, we leverage Gen Z’s desire for professional growth and career flexibility. Research suggests these benefits are extremely important to today’s young adults. According to one survey, more than three-quarters of Gen Z employees want more opportunities to learn new skills, and 61 percent would like to move up in their careers or increase their responsibilities.
Teaching can be a dynamic career choice, with opportunities for advancement into positions of leadership, policy or advocacy. This is something that district leaders should emphasize in their recruiting. But, they must also walk the walk.
In Bellwood, educators have access to flexible career pathways that align with Gen Z’s expectations for growth. We engage teachers in discussions about their own professional development, ensuring they feel a sense of agency and investment in their career trajectory. We have created opportunities for teachers to earn credits that count toward master’s degrees, with financial incentives tied to their professional advancement. Recognizing educators and supporting their ambitions makes the profession more appealing to the next generation.
Fourth, because new teachers likely have significant financial challenges such as student debt, policymakers and district leaders can make the profession more attractive to young people by creating affordable pathways such as apprenticeships, loan forgiveness and other incentives.
Bellwood’s on-the-job training program, created in partnership with BloomBoard, offers prospective educators a teaching degree paid for by the district. Instead of requiring participants to quit their jobs to complete a student teaching internship, they work full time in K-12 classrooms for the duration of the program, with hands-on practice and learning fully integrated into their workday. And instead of writing papers or taking tests, participants submit lesson plans, videos of themselves teaching and student work to their professors. In addition, the district offers stipends and bonuses to teachers willing to take on hard-to-fill positions.
Lastly, Gen Z can be attracted by promoting teaching as a field ripe for innovation. Gen Z’s digital skills are essential in today’s classrooms, where how and what students need to learn is rapidly shifting as technology evolves. District leaders can appeal to young people by positioning teaching as a career where their understanding of technology can lead to meaningful change.
Bellwood’s investment in tools such as Chromebooks or tablets for every student, interactive whiteboards, fast and reliable wi-fi, and Google Workspace, ensures that the district’s classrooms are equipped for Gen Z educators to create dynamic and interactive learning environments. We also provide training on the use of technology for instruction, and district leadership has created a culture where teachers can feel safe to innovate and try new approaches in their classrooms, including lessons that incorporate new technology, project-based learning, or cross-curricular collaboration.
By investing in innovative recruitment and development strategies, districts can attract and retain the next generation of educators — ensuring students’ long-term success.
Victoria Stockton is superintendent of Bellwood School District 88 in the Chicago suburbs.
This article was published by The74. You can read the original version here.
