Teacher Recruitment and Retention Trends across North Carolina and the Impact of COVID-19

7/1/2021 – 12/31/2022

$81,998

Research has continuously demonstrated that teachers are the most important factor affecting student learning and achievement (e.g., Sanders 1996). However, in North Carolina and across the nation, districts and schools continuously struggle to recruit and retain effective teachers, especially teachers of color. Challenges across the education landscape, from perception of the public to student experience to the state of the educator workforce, became even more pronounced due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. The full scope of the pandemic’s impact on teaching and learning are complex and yet to be fully examined and understood. This research project sought to provide a deeper understanding of recent trends in teacher recruitment and retention in North Carolina, and the extent to which the pandemic contributed to changes in these trends.

Our extensive analysis of statewide data and focus groups conducted with leaders in school districts and educator preparation programs across North Carolina enabled us to identify specific challenges and highlight opportunities to repair, strengthen, and diversify our teacher pipeline. Some actions taken by EPPs and school districts have yielded positive results in a time of crisis, and sharing these promising practices widely will offer inspiration and guidance for other education leaders working to strengthen their own recruitment and retention efforts. We also found that many districts and preparation programs in different settings are encountering similar struggles that could be relieved with specific policy changes that we present in our report.

Ultimately, our final report details a complex and urgent reality that will require substantial changes to policy and practice in order to ensure that every child in North Carolina has access to a highly effective, diverse teacher workforce. No single solution or quick fix can reverse the challenges that our EPPs and schools have faced over the past decade and particularly the past few years, but our findings and recommendations seek to offer a roadmap to rebuild.