McGuffey School District

Better today than yesterday, McGuffey will T.E.A.C.H.
Together, Excellence, Achievement, Community, Hope

Recruit and Retain

Recruit and Retain Priority Challenge

Recruitement and retention of high quality teachers and leaders was initially identified as a priority challenge for McGuffey School District as part of the 2022-2025 Future Ready Comprehensive Plan (FRCP). As we prepare for the 2025-2028 FRCP this same focus has been identified as a continuing area of priority need. The below target goals have been established for recruitment and retention of high quality teachers and leaders, along with the corresponding action steps to achieve these goals.

Priority: The McGuffey School District will enhance our ability to recruit and retain fully credentialed, experienced, and high-quality leaders and teachers by implementing strategic recruitment initiatives, offering competitive compensation and benefits, providing robust onboarding and mentorship programs, fostering professional growth opportunities, and cultivating a positive and inclusive workplace culture that prioritizes staff satisfaction and retention.
Outcome Category	Measurable Goal Nickname	Target Year 1 (2025-2026)	Target Year 2 (2026-2027)	Target Year 3 (2027-2028)
School climate and culture	Retain Teaching Staff	Survey all teachers hired within the past 5 school years to gather information on how to better serve our new hires through the induction and onboarding process. Survey mid career and veteran teachers to see how we can better support them. Conduct exit interviews with any teachers leaving the district. Track retention data among all staff. Goal to retain at least 80% of new hires and 93% of overall teachers.	Make revisions and updates to onboarding and induction process and also overall Act 48 PD plan based on data collected during year 1. Goal to retain at least 85% of new hires and 94% of all teachers.	Increase the retention rate of newly hired, highly qualified educators from 71% to 90% over the next 4 years, 2025-2028, while increasing our overall retention rate of all teachers from 93% to 95%, by implementing targeted professional development, mentorship programs, and competitive compensation strategies. This percentage includes retirement, resignation, and other departures.
School climate and culture	Retain Administrators	Continue with Principal Academy for newly hired building administrators. Continue discussions with current school and district administrators as well as reviewing exit interview data of recently departed administrators. Survey current administrators on factors important to them in order to remain with the district. Use data collected to inform the new Act 93 agreement to take effect on July 1, 2026.	Discuss with current administrators whether new Act 93 agreement has made them more likely to remain in the district. Discuss with current administrators additional resources and supports that may increase their intention to remain in the district. Explore use of Title 2 funds to help with retention of current administrators.	Increase the retention rate of school leaders from 73% in 2024 to 90% over the next 4 years, 2025-2028, by implementing targeted professional development, mentorship programs, and competitive compensation strategies. This percentage includes retirement, resignation, and other departures.
School climate and culture	Recruit High Quality Teachers and Administrators	Participate in collaborative partnerships with local colleges and universities, including continuing to attend teacher recruitment fairs and mock interviews.	Establish meaningful practices to "seal the deal" with preferred new hire candidates by connecting the job offer to something meaningful to them.	We will use recruitment strategies to ensure that all open teaching and administrative positions are filled with high quality qualified candidates

Action Plan for: Recruit & Retain
Measurable Goals			Anticipated Output			Monitoring/Evaluation (People, Frequency, and Method)
Retain Teaching Staff Retain Administrators Recruit High Quality Teachers and Administrators			Improved retention of teaching and administrator positions.			Gather feedback from new hires annually to assess effectiveness and make continuous improvements. Monitored by tracking retention data over the three year period 2025-2028.
Action Step	Anticipated Start Date	Anticipated Completion Date		Lead Person/Position	Material/Resources/Supports Needed		PD Step?	Com Step?
Administer a district-wide survey to all teaching staff to gather feedback on workplace satisfaction, professional needs, and support systems.	09/01/2025	06/01/2026		Dan Gottron / Director of Curriculum and Instruction	Develop and distribute teacher survey		No	Yes
Evaluate the use of Title II funds to support teacher & administrator retention by researching best practices, assessing feasibility, and exploring potential new hire and retention bonuses.	09/01/2025	06/01/2026		Dan Gottron / Federal Programs Coordinator Charlene Hobberchalk / Business Manager	Federal Programs Title II Application for 2025-2026		No	Yes
Collect and analyze first-year retention data for all staff to identify trends and factors influencing retention. Findings will be reviewed annually and used to develop targeted strategies for improving staff retention and support.	09/01/2025	06/01/2026		Administration	Exit Interviews/Survey		No	Yes
Revise and enhance the onboarding and induction process to provide meaningful, role-specific professional development. Tailor training to teachers' grade levels and content areas rather than relying solely on general induction sessions.	08/01/2025	06/01/2026		Dan Gottron/Act 48 Team	Induction plan / Federal Programs Title II Application		Yes	Yes
Revise the mentor teacher program to ensure alignment with the district’s goals for teacher development. Establish clear expectations for mentor-mentee relationships, provide professional development for mentors, and implement a feedback system to evaluate the program’s effectiveness.	07/01/2025	06/30/2026		Mentor Teachers	Current mentor document		Yes	Yes
Review and revise the district’s Act 48 Professional Development plan to ensure it aligns with current instructional priorities and teacher needs.	07/01/2025	06/01/2026		Dan Gottron/Act 48 Team	Act 48 documents and materials		Yes	Yes
Develop a 'New Principal Academy' leadership program to provide targeted professional development, mentorship, and career growth opportunities for new administrators. The program will include ongoing training, peer mentoring, and regular check-ins to ensure support.	07/01/2025	06/30/2026		Mike Wilson / Andrew Oberg / Dan Gottron	Relevant materials for new administrators		Yes	Yes
Analyze exit interview data from recently departed administrators to identify common themes and factors influencing turnover. Use findings to develop targeted retention strategies and address any systemic issues.	07/01/2025	06/30/2026		Andrew Oberg	Exit interview information		No	Yes
Conduct a survey of current administrators to gather feedback on key factors that influence their decision to remain with the district, including professional development needs, work-life balance, and support systems.	07/01/2025	06/30/2026		Andrew Oberg	Survey/Retention Strategies		No	Yes
Utilize multiple data sources to inform the development of the new Act 93 agreement, ensuring it addresses key factors influencing administrator satisfaction and retention.	07/01/2025	06/30/2026		Act 93 Team / McGuffey Board of Directors	Act 93 document		No	Yes
Initiate and strengthen partnerships with local universities (e.g., Waynesburg, W&J, Penn West, Point Park, the University of Pittsburgh, Duquesne, and Robert Morris) and teacher preparation programs to establish a pipeline for recruiting qualified candidates (student teaching, job shadowing, internships).	07/01/2025	06/30/2026		Building Principals	Schedule of job fairs and mock interviews, points of contact for universities		Yes	Yes

Initial Recruitment and Retention Targets for 2022-2025