“We’ve been listening,” answered Chief Human Resources Officer Beth Gage when asked why Holyoke Public Schools’ teacher retention rate is the highest it's been in more than a decade.
That listening has been paying off—and the proof is in the numbers: Almost 83% of Holyoke’s educators who were employed by the district last September as a classroom teacher, expert teacher, counselor, or other Holyoke Teachers Association (HTA) role are still working for HPS this year. While losing any educators from year to year poses challenges and concerns, this 82.8% year-to-year retention rate is still 10 points higher than the district’s low of 71%.
“We also had increases in all of our sub-groups, with the highest being a 20-point increase in the retention of black educators,” added Ms. Gage.
During the 2023-24 school year, the district convened a Teacher Retention Working Group to help determine the causes and propose solutions to improve retention rates for HPS educators. Participants analyzed data, listened to teachers, and developed potential solutions to improve teacher retention. Their work led to the implementation of a pilot program, which included:
A reduction in total required working hours, especially for experienced teachers;
Differentiated professional learning to support educators; and
Balancing pay across K-8 and high school teachers.
“The district has also taken on a ‘one team’ approach to hiring,” said Director of Recruitment Christie Elman. “We revised our recruiting and hiring system by centralizing applications and prioritizing more qualified candidates for schools that have more vacancies.”
The new system allows the district to put the right candidates in the right positions, which has contributed to a better fit over time. “Our new hires feel that sense of belonging in the schools they are working in,” Ms. Elman explained.
School leadership teams are also prioritizing teacher voice, using information learned from the district’s annual Panorama culture and climate survey data to identify strengths and ways to improve. Each school also solicits staff input on the development of school improvement and school operations plans, and to foster a sense of shared mission and belonging, Ms. Gage said. District and school staff were particularly excited to see a significant increase in staff retention at many schools, including schools experiencing significant transitions. These include the newly completed Peck Middle School that combined two previous school communities in one new building, and Lawrence School where long-time principal Catherine Hourihan retired and Katie Bourque became principal on July 1.
"The transition from Ms. Hourihan to Ms. Bourque was really smooth," said Lawrence Expert Teacher Stephen Monge, who also served on the teacher retention working group when he was a fourth grade teacher at Donahue. "Ms. Bourque visited the school many times last spring to get to know the staff, students, and families, which helped us all feel like we knew what to expect for the next school year and that the school would continue in a positive direction."
When asked about areas for improvement, Ms. Gage said the district is continuing to strive for greater retention and more consistency from year to year. An important next step is to further analyze the data by grade level, content area, and other ways to identify employee groups that have lower retention rates and to speak with educators about what needs to be improved. Hiring and retaining special education teachers is a critical need for Holyoke Public Schools, as it is for many districts.
Educator development—including a commitment to growing and retaining a talented, diverse staff—is one of five priorities outlined in the HPS strategic plan. “We are hopeful that our teacher retention rate will continue to increase over time,” Ms. Elman said. “Continuity is key to having a high quality educational experience. When teachers and students have daily, familiar interactions and when teachers build deep expertise with the curriculum over time, students benefit. These relationships and consistency directly lead to stronger outcomes.”