Leadership can’t stand alone: Why school districts need policy to increase teacher retention

Abstract

Current educational research identifies the significant relationship between principal leadership and teacher retention. In recent years, distributive leadership has been praised as a supportive leadership framework for school improvement. Given its success with transforming schools, distributive leadership has been suggested as a positive framework for increasing teacher retention. This research-based article concerns itself with qualities of distributive leadership that may support teacher retention. Results from the research call upon districts to develop policy in support of teacher retention. Specifically, this article provides current research from a recent study in Arizona that focused on the impact of distributive leadership with elementary and middle school teacher retention. This research was limited to a large school district in Arizona, though it revealed multiple areas where policy may support teacher retention. Ultimately, this article offers specific policy and practice considerations to mitigate teacher retention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]