Episode #36 - The 5 things that actually drive teacher retention and sustainability with Zainab Ali

SHOW NOTES

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GUESTS

Episode Guest

Zainab Ali, Executive-In-Residence at Charter School Growth Fund

Connect with Zainab on LinkedIn

Websites:

https://chartergrowthfund.org/

EPISODE SUMMARY

In this conversation, Daniel Casselli and Zainab Ali discuss the critical issue of teacher retention in K-12 education, particularly within charter schools. Zainab shares insights from a recent research report conducted by the Charter School Growth Fund, highlighting the importance of executive team culture, effective change management, and the need for ongoing support and development for principals and teachers. The discussion emphasizes that retaining teachers requires a multifaceted approach, including listening to staff feedback, investing in leadership, and maintaining high standards for recruitment.

EPISODE TAKEAWAYS

Mastering Change Management:

• Incorporate stakeholder voice early and narrate how feedback shapes decisions.
• Communicate change through diverse channels—videos, one-on-ones, roadshows, and flyers—not just lengthy emails.
• Follow up on change implementation, share what's working and what's not, and celebrate real results.

Invest in Principal Development:

• Principals are the linchpins of retention; their leadership often determines whether teachers stay or leave.
• Provide coaching, tiered support, and collaborative cohorts to empower principals and combat isolation.

Retaining Top Teachers:

• Align hiring practices with a “high bar” for teachers while maintaining strong onboarding and internal pipelines.
• Recognize that a successful teacher profile varies by organization—listen to what makes teachers stay.

Building Organizational Trust:

• Acknowledge challenges, avoid “toxic positivity,” and authentically share bumps in the road alongside successes.

Setting and Holding a High Bar:

• Invest in early-career teachers through robust onboarding and support systems.
• Ensure alignment during recruitment to avoid costly mismatches.

RESOURCES

Document: Teacher Retention & Sustainability: Five Key Lessons

CHAPTERS

00:00 Introduction
07:07 Exploring Teacher Retention Challenges
12:52 Executive Team Culture and Its Impact
20:02 Building Structures for Listening
26:11 Effective Change Management Strategies
32:46 Investing in Principal Development
40:07 Maintaining High Standards for Teacher Recruitment

ABOUT OUR GUEST

Zainab Ali has dedicated her career to supporting and advising executive and board-level leadership within non-profits and government agencies in the education sector. As a proven problem-solver, systems-level thinker, developer, and strategist, she has excelled in environments ranging from start-ups to organizational turnarounds.

Zainab brings extensive expertise in strategic planning and KPI progress monitoring, governance and board management, regulatory compliance, change management, public policy analysis and lobbying, communications, process and systems optimization, diversity, equity, and inclusion, as well as organizational culture.

She has a track record of success in defining and inspiring a shared vision across diverse stakeholders, building the systems, structures, and metrics needed to support that vision, and leading multi-layered teams to execute it effectively. Zainab's ability to manage and implement change in fast-paced environments makes her skill set highly transferable across sectors.

ABOUT OUR HOST

Daniel Casselli is a life-long learner whose passion for education has driven his professional endeavors. He is a former classroom teacher and youth ministry director whose entrepreneurial spirit landed him in the world of education technology. At EVERFI Inc., Daniel helped run the business development efforts for EVERFI’s Financial Education Program and the company was eventually sold to Blackbaud for $750M in 2021. Shortly before EVERFI’s acquisition, Daniel joined Class Technologies as one of the earliest sales hires and went on to lead K12 Enterprise Sales and helped the company land its first 100+ K12 customers across public, charter, and private schools. Daniel brings his unique experiences to BuyQ where he is focused on growth, operational excellence, business strategy, and client satisfaction. He is a graduate of Grove City College where he studied Religion and History. 

You can listen to Charter School Insider: Lessons from the Nation's Top Charter School Operators on your favorite podcasting platform...

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