The insight: Teachers that leave feel overwhelmed by the job and undervalued by the community they are serving
The current state of educators paints a picture tainted by stress, inadequate pay, and a lack of diversity - so it’s no surprise that the New York City Public School System, like many other parts of the country, is suffering from challenges of teacher and staff recruitment and retention. NYC will need to hire an estimated 18,000 teachers over the next five years to meet class size restrictions.
Teachers burn out at twice the rate of the other working adults, typically working nine hours more per week than workers average. Combine that with the average pay not matching inflation over the past decade and it’s not hard to understand why teachers and staff are opting out of the education system. But we know that teacher turnover costs the public school system money - with some districts citing teacher replacement costs at almost $25,000 per teacher. Money that can and should be spent on making the system stronger for our kids and educators.
In this environment, we need to show teachers that we recognize the value of their efforts, celebrate them for what they do for our children and acknowledge the commitment they have made and will make to our children and the future.
The Idea: Introducing The Schoolys, created to celebrate and re-energize the staff at a local public school to retain and attract talent.
The activation: Our goal was to create a moment of recognition that would have a lasting impact on the staff at TCCS and set an example for students, parents, and the community at large.
Teachers face burnout at twice the rate of other working adults, often clocking in nine more hours per week than the average worker. When you combine that with wages that haven’t kept up with inflation over the past decade, it’s easy to see why so many educators are leaving the profession. But teacher turnover isn’t just a personal issue—it’s a financial one. Replacing a single teacher can cost districts nearly $25,000, money that could be better invested in strengthening the education system for both our kids and educators. Teachers College Community School in Harlem, New York City, is grappling with these same issues: low staff retention, recruitment difficulties, and limited resources. It’s said that, over the next five years, NYC will need to hire an estimated 18,000 teachers to meet new class size restrictions.
The Schoolys is a platform centered around affirming, honoring, and protecting the protectors. This platform generated a unique opportunity to focus on the teachers and staff. The program kicked off with a 5 minute unpaid live segment on CBS for TCCS’s 50 staff members at the school including teachers, crossing guards, cafeteria, and custodial staff. We provided each staff member with $3,000 grants to be used for self-care, continuing education and/or professional development. The grants were announced to the stunned staff by Morning News anchor, Gayle King, during a “surprise and delight” event celebrating them at the end of the school year, where they were also presented with trophies by the graduating class of students, and personally immortalized on posters and digital billboards across the city thanking them for their service. The event was attended by decision makers and local elected officials, who pledged support for the initiative.
For the first time ever, the school experienced zero turnover for faculty and staff. The acknowledgement and celebration of the school allowed them to fill vacant roles at a faster pace and elevate the reputation of the school in the community. This resulted in 100% staff retention and 80%+ vacant roles filled.
Our goal was to create a moment of recognition that would have a lasting impact on the staff at TCCS and set an example for students, parents and the community at large. Hearing from the teachers and staff at and after the event with words of appreciation further affirmed the continued need to ensure we are honoring and protecting the protectors.
For the first time ever, the school experienced zero turnover for faculty and staff. The acknowledgement and celebration of the school also allowed them to fill vacant roles at a faster pace and elevate the reputation of the school in the community.
This resulted in the following:
