Background

Strategic staffing in education uses innovative strategies to proactively meet instructional staffing needs.

The U.S. Department of Education defines strategic staffing as an intentional move from one teacher per classroom to more flexibly scheduled, team-based models. These models—whether organized by content-based team teaching structures or leadership positions—support differentiated roles that align with strong mentoring models. These roles address persistent educator challenges, such as feelings of isolation and lack of support or growth, by providing increased opportunities for collaboration, leadership, compensation, and authority over teaching practice.¹ When implemented with fidelity, strategic staffing models can improve retention, especially retention of highly qualified teachers, while also having a positive impact on student outcomes.^2,3,4,5 

Robust mentoring is central to many successful strategic staffing approaches. Mentorship provides veteran teachers with leadership opportunities; supports apprentices and residents, newer teachers, and teachers in training; and can maximize educator expertise, including in areas experiencing high teacher shortage (e.g., special education and math). A mentor with familiarity with the classroom context and students can ably provide oversight as well as modeling and support. Strategic staffing models with strong mentorship components complement innovative preparation pathways and staffing strategies such as Grow Your Own programs and Registered Teacher Apprenticeship Programs (R-TAPs).

Recommendations

States and districts can take the following actions to reform compensation to help address the educator shortage.

Design and provide resources to support decision-making on strategic staffing models and effective implementation within districts.  

Modernize policies to enable innovations in staffing, student-to-teacher ratios, and compensation, and to align with new team-based teaching and leadership roles.  

Provide waivers to districts that are piloting innovative strategic staffing models. 

Work with local boards, unions, and teacher associations to ensure buy-in and to integrate strategic staffing solutions into policies and labor/​collective bargaining agreements.  

Allocate funding to support increased compensation for leadership, including mentor teachers or specialized, in-demand roles such as special education or math teachers. 

Align strategic staffing initiatives with R-TAPs, residencies, and other affordable pathways into the profession to provide increased mentorship, guidance, and support for teachers who are new to the classroom.  

Resources

References

¹ Team-Based Staffing, Teacher Authority, and Teacher Turnover (R. Ingersoll, et al.)

² Advanced Teaching Roles: Annual Evaluation Report (B. Bausell, et al.)

³ Advanced Teaching Roles in North Carolina: Meaningful Career Pathways for Education Professionals (BEST NC)

⁴ Reaching Further and Learning More? Evaluating Public Impact’s Opportunity Culture Initiative (B. Backes & M. Hansen)

⁵ Program Evaluation of Public Impact’s Opportunity Culture Model on Teacher Performance & Student Achievement for Ector County Independent School District (A. Wiseman, et al.)