It’s May – the time of year when teachers and all educational staff usually notify their Principals they won’t be coming back in the Fall. Normally, teachers of retirement age, especially in a good economy, might look forward to enjoying the pension they’ve earned over many years. Resignations might be flowing in as well – spouses accepting new jobs elsewhere, new parents who want to stay home with their babies, or a variety of other reasons.
This year is so different. With the coronavirus seriously damaging the economy, many educators are rethinking their retirements or resignations. Families need incomes as a result and “second” incomes are no longer a luxury but rather a necessity. How is the economy and the closure of most schools impacting retention and how should Human Resources be helping Principals navigate the retention waters?
Now that May has arrived, HR teams should be doing everything possible to maximize retention and accurately predict staffing needs for the Fall. We recommend that HR teams:
- Contact each Principal to see if they have up-to-date information on retention plans for each of their staff members. If not, encourage principals to contact each teacher to ask about their plans for upcoming year.
- Consider holding back full staffing budgets by at least 10% knowing that everyone’s future plans are unstable at this point.
- Check with your HR team to determine if databases are up-to-date – have retirements or resignations been entered? Or are they in a cue waiting to be entered?
- Keep your eyes on Leaves of Absence requests for the Fall – some staff members might be caring for sick family members or reluctant to return during a pandemic.
- Prepare for staff to rescind a resignation or retirement prior to the end of school – consider the impact on hiring if significant numbers of employees change their retirement or resignation plans.
This is an unprecedented staffing year for all HR teams – there is no way to predict absolute numbers but taking steps now might prevent either shortages or overhires come the re-opening of schools in the Fall.
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Dr. Elizabeth (Betsy) Arons serves as the Chief Executive Officer and founder of the Urban Schools Human Capital Academy (USHCA), a national nonprofit that develops, supports, and networks human resources and human capital leaders in schools, districts, charter organizations and states to drive measurable improvements in teacher and principal quality. Our belief is that the best people get the best results for students.