Arkansas teacher retention and recruitment

One of my first childhood memories is lining up stuffed animals in front of my chalkboard and playing school. I always knew I wanted to be a teacher when I grew up. I constantly played school and enjoyed every aspect of attending school daily. The first 18 years of our lives all we really know are our families and our teachers which is why so many young adults used to want to grow up to become teachers; to give back to students the way educators poured into them.

Recently there has been a huge shift.

Some smaller school districts are seeing a mass exodus of teachers and not just in shortage areas but in all areas. More and more job postings are listed around the state daily. This shift comes not only as a result of the global pandemic but the constant changes in education to educator roles and expectations, nearly yearly curriculum, and testing adjustments, as well as, state and federal mandates.

As a young professional in what I plan to be a lifelong career in education, and the parent of a preschooler who I want to have exceptional teachers throughout his school experience; I want to lead a positive shift in our state and our country in changing the current negative views of teaching. I propose the following to decision makers to increase educator retention and recruitment within our state. First, an increase in educator feedback opportunities; giving teachers a voice in education committee meetings. Next, provide professional development hours for piloting and observing in schools for proposed bill topics on curriculum, discipline, etc before implementing topics into a law. Required legislator attendance at one school board meeting in their boundary school districts. I believe a larger presence of state legislators within the school system would create better relationships with educators. It would also allow decision makers to see exactly how the decisions they make are affecting their constituents, as well as, the future decision makers in our state. If this topic is important to you, what can you do? Be involved! Volunteer at your local schools, sign up as a substitute, run for the school board or other elected offices, attend school board meetings and let your voice be heard respectfully, and contact your local lawmakers.

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Elizabeth-ann “Liz” Lee is a native of Bryant but has resided in Northwest Arkansas for the past 10 years. Currently, she is an elementary resource teacher at Lowell Elementary in Rogers teaching special education students in kindergarten through fifth grade. Lee is a 2021-2022 Arkansas State Teachers Association Advocacy Fellow.