Preventing the Loss of Wisdom in Our Schools: Respecting and Retaining Successful Veteran Teachers

Abstract

Attractive retirement packages convince many teachers to exit their careers their fifties. Mr. Alvy suggests ways that schools and districts could entice them instead to keep teaching so that their students and colleagues could continue to benefit from their hard-won experience and wisdom. EDUCATIONAL leaders are often asked how to reduce the alarming percentage of new teachers who leave the profession when their careers have barely started. But an equally important question -- and one that is rarely addressed -- is, What can we do to keep effective veteran teachers from retiring when our schools need their wisdom, insight, and maturity? Much has been written about providing support for new teachers during their difficult early years. Support strategies for new teachers include direct mentoring, reduced or less stressful teaching loads, professional and personal support groups, and various professional development activities. Certainly, our emphasis on strategies to support and retain new teachers is vital, but we should not neglect our efforts to support and retain veteran teachers. Our society celebrates youth. But we should also celebrate the wealth of experience that comes with age. As average life expectancies increase and individuals remain healthy and active into their seventies and eighties, we owe it to our students and colleagues to try to keep successful veteran teachers on the job for a few more years so everyone can benefit from the wisdom of age. Today, many teachers retire their fifties. They have 25 or 30 years in the system, and the benefits of their retirement packages outweigh the prestige and satisfaction that they would receive by remaining on the job. Why can't our schools create circumstances under which these successful veterans would prefer to remain the classroom? Of course, one frequently hears the criticism that veteran teachers are resistant to change. And some cases the criticism is justified. However, we should remember that veterans often express a healthy skepticism that is based on experience. They have seen too many reforms fail because of insufficient planning or because the reform ideas had little merit to begin with. Experts on the literature of change remind us that thoughtful resistance to change is normal and that worthwhile change occurs when hard questions are asked -- often by veteran teachers.1 Some teachers and administrators refer to colleagues who are approaching retirement as burnout cases, just the days until their retirement. But have we asked why Mr. Smith is burnt out? Or why Ms. Jones is counting down the days? What might the school system have done to validate and honor Mr. Smith or Ms. Jones? Moreover, the central office and the schoolhouse, we reflect too infrequently on issues such as the following: * Ms. Wolf is considering retirement. What can we do to encourage her to remain the classroom? Are we helping her meet her professional goals so she realizes that the school wants her to continue serving students? * Sure, Mr. Washington has been talking about retiring because he is 55, but he has not made a firm decision. Instead of planning his retirement party, perhaps we could meet with him and work out a schedule that will enable him to teach chemistry and physics for a couple of more years. Strategies to Retain Veteran Teachers How might we try to keep effective experienced teachers on the job for a few more good years? If we are serious about restructuring school organizations and creating school cultures that support collaboration to meet the professional needs of all staff members -- both new and veteran -- then we need to undertake a number of strategies to support veteran teachers. 1. Shape and support a school culture that honors experience and wisdom. Administrators, department chairs, grade-level leaders, and teaching colleagues need to support values, traditions, and norms that honor veteran teachers. …