Teacher burnout is a complex and pervasive phenomenon with significant implications for both educators and students. This qualitative research study delves into the intricate interplay of factors contributing to teacher burnout within the context of K-12 schools in Massachusetts. Drawing from foundational theories such as Maslach's burnout model…

The COVID-19 pandemic has created an unprecedented challenge for state, district, and school leaders across the country. Whether states and districts mandate or choose an in-person or remote model or a hybrid model, which includes some aspect of virtual learning, ensuring that vulnerable students and teachers have a remote learning option has…

Beginning teachers of color leave the country's schools at higher rates than their White colleagues. National attention has turned to the development of induction, or beginning teacher support, programs to help stem beginning teacher attrition rates. Despite having developed a comprehensive induction policy to support beginning teachers,…

The purpose of this Action Research study was to investigate and improve teacher retention at Southside Public Schools, an urban public school district in Massachusetts. Participants and data collected in Cycle 1 consisted of an interview with the school district's superintendent, a focus group that included Southside's director of human…

An arts curriculum director of an urban, Pre-K-12 school district north of Boston, Massachusetts researched literature about feelings of connectedness and professional learning among itinerant, art teachers. The study employed a framework of communities of practice for itinerant art teachers. The strands found across the literature were the state…

The University of Massachusetts Amherst (UMA), a public research university, has demonstrated a long-standing commitment to improving working conditions for non-tenure track faculty (NTTF) with a 20-year track record of progressive policies to improve the support for them. This commitment is manifested through a series of improvements in policies,…

The Better Math Teaching Network (BMTN) is looking to transform high school math instruction in New England and beyond. Through this network, researchers and practitioners are working together to make high school Algebra I classes more student centered. This report outlines findings from the first year of this developmental evaluation of the…

While new teachers bring energy and passion into their classrooms and schools, they can find themselves incredibly challenged as they learn how to plan and implement lessons, collect and use data to inform their instructional practices, build relationships with students and families, manage classroom behavior, and meet the varying academic,…

While new teachers bring energy and passion into their classrooms and schools, they can find themselves incredibly challenged as they learn how to plan and implement lessons, collect, and use data to inform their instructional practices, build relationships with students and families, manage classroom behavior, and meet the varying academic,…

In this year's report on the Condition of Education in the Commonwealth (COE), the Rennie Center seeks to highlight how educators can be empowered to effectively meet the academic and social-emotional needs of their students in 2022 and beyond. The report relays findings from research on immediate supports to address student needs in the wake of…