Reaching Higher and partners release survey measuring school staff and educator departures

A middle school science team collaborates on their upcoming lessons. Photo by Allison Shelley for EDUimages.

Update, April 18, 2023: This survey has closed. Thank you to all those who completed the survey. Your input will inform critical conversations around how we can support our educators and school staff. The survey has been published; please click here to read the report.

Reaching Higher invites educators who are leaving their positions at the end of the school year to take our new survey on educator transition and departures. Conducted in partnership with 15 professional organizations, the statewide survey will collect information on educators and school staff who are changing positions or school districts, those who are leaving the state, and those who are leaving the field altogether. 

The purpose of the survey is to inform statewide conversations around educator and school staff transitions and retention. There are a number of initiatives underway to strengthen the educator, school staff, and school leader pipeline, including a proposed legislative study committee that is expected to begin its work later this year. 

“School staff and educators are the most valuable resource a school has, and making sure that our teacher and staff workforce is strong, diverse, and supported by their community is critical to ensuring students can reach their full potential,” said Nicole Heimarck, Executive Director at Reaching Higher NH. “This survey will measure where people are going and why, and help us better understand how we can support them as individuals and a community of professionals.”

“Teachers, school leaders, and staff play a critical role in helping students develop a sense of themselves and their world, and we need to make sure we’re supporting them every step of the way. This survey will provide us with the data we need to inform policy and practice, from the local level all the way to the State House,” said Christina Pretorius, Policy Director at Reaching Higher NH. 

The survey was co-developed with the Women Educators Leading Learning group, a network of current and former educators, school staff, and school leaders around New Hampshire to empower, connect, inspire, and celebrate women in the education profession. Survey partners include: 

  • National Educators Association of NH (NEA-NH)
  • American Federation of Teachers of NH
  • NH School Administrators Association 
  • NH Association of School Principals
  • NH Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development
  • NH Association of Special Education Administrators
  • NH School Nurses Association
  • NH School Counselors Association
  • NH Association of School Business Officials
  • NH Association for Career and Technical Education 
  • NH Art Educators Association
  • NH Science Teachers Association
  • NH Association of World Language Teachers

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