The purpose of this phenomenological study was to establish if teacher engagement influenced student success in alternative education among schools within the Capital City of Virginia as well as the Central Region of Virginia. Teacher perception was examined qualitatively by using the phenomenological research technique to ascertain how teachers engaged with students within the alternative school environment. The researcher conducted teacher interviews using the Zoom platform software to best triangulate themes that demonstrated beliefs that teacher engagement influenced student success. Specifically, the investigation was aimed at analyzing student engagement. Ryan and Deci's (2018) Self-Determination Theory and Maslow's (2013) Hierarchy of Needs served as the conceptual framework. The focus of the investigation hinged on the following three research questions: 1) Did obstacles such as COVID and poverty in homes make virtual learning difficult, 2) In what ways was Professional Development (Professional Learning Community focus) essential for teachers in alternative education to continuously improve their skills of engaging student needs?, 3) How did educators build trust, rapport, and positive relationships to increase student academic outcomes and motivate students to attend school? [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]