Early childhood (EC) environments that are safe and engaging can positively influence developmental outcomes in children. Indeed, the benefits of a high-quality environment for young children are numerous (Kostelnik et al., 2019). The EC classroom is also the primary workplace of EC teachers and much like the children they serve, they can also…

For too many educators, the idea of a morally centered school may seem like a fantasy--or be so novel a concept that it is hard to grasp. In this article, the authors describe such schools, which truly serve students' best interests by following a set of shared professional values, and how educators and their unions can help create them. The four…

Teacher wellbeing has gained increasing attention in recent decades, intricately related to the problems of teacher retention, attrition and shortages. In some respects, the emerging debates have been fundamentally disconnected from the everyday lives of teachers, schools and school communities. Teacher wellbeing is repeatedly foregrounded as a…

This unique thought experiment invites the field of agricultural education to a critical dialogue on issues related to making teaching a career. Leveraging elicitation techniques, we introduce a series of nine letters on agriculture teacher retention. Written by agriculture teacher education faculty with expertise in teacher retention, these…

This research commentary illuminates teachers' insights that help examine the nuanced relationship between spaces and situations that describe the impact of fostering belongingness and elevating their voices. Data includes results from a qualitative survey, which was a convenience sample across the southern region of the United States. The…

This is the third publication in a series of research reports from the UCL Centre for Educational Leadership-led study, The Impact of the ECF Programme on the Work Engagement, Well-Being and Retention of Teachers: A Longitudinal Study, 2021--2026. This paper describes the conditions in schools which advance the development and retention of teacher…

This article provides a conceptual framework of the dimensions of a toxic culture in higher education and the impact it has on the meaning of work. Seven dimensions of a toxic culture in higher education are presented as follows: toxic leadership; bullying and mobbing; colleagues as enablers; reinforced toxic social norms; purposeful, chaotic…

UNESCO, the Teacher Task Force, and the International Labour Organization continue to highlight the need to create healthy, thriving working conditions for educators. They seek respect and dignity in the education professions, as demonstrated through regular, fair, and life-sustaining remuneration, as well as through recognition of the expertise,…

The author's statement to the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions on the challenges faced by America's classroom teachers focuses on a few of the factors that lead to teacher frustration and burnout that higher pay, however well-intended, does not change. They include, but are not limited to, poor teacher preparation,…

Public schools are currently at the center of a set of multifaceted culture wars around questions about who decides the purpose of and sets the agenda for what should be taught in our nation's schools. Although culture wars are not new, today's conflicts are distinguished by their intensity and hostility directed toward marginalized and…

Islamophobia and anti-Muslim racism pose a unique experience, especially when one is readily identifiable as a Muslim through hijab, a head covering worn by some Muslim women. Although frequently conflated with racial identity, Muslim women are uniquely impacted by the intersection of race, gender, and religious identity. In this paper, I explore…

There is a critical need to address educator health and well-being, yet only an average of 31% of schools offer workplace health and wellness promotion programs. As part of the Center for the Promotion of Health in the New England Workplace -- a National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Center of Excellence for Total Worker Health®…

Attracting, supporting, and retaining special education teachers of color (SETOCs) is critical in shaping a diverse special education teacher workforce in the United States. However, efforts to diversify this workforce are fraught with challenges at the federal, state, and local levels. This paper reviews what is currently known about efforts to…

Despite growing interest and investment in building a more racially and ethnically diverse teacher workforce, increases in the share of teachers of color nationally have stalled in recent years. Even with more new teachers of color entering the profession each year, about 80% of the teacher workforce has been white since 2015. This trend…

The Shaping Futures Together agenda highlights policies and investments that families and practitioners say will ensure all children thrive. This playbook provides recommended policy and research strategies that Start Early believes will help to realize those priorities. Each section includes legislative and administrative policy recommendations…