Catholic high schools play an important role in preparing students for the future by providing them with the spiritual and academic foundation they need to succeed and become faith-based, contributing members of society. Unfortunately, finding and retaining qualified teachers to help carry out this mission is increasingly difficult.

According to a recent report from the Annenberg Institute at Brown University, there are more than 36,500 teacher vacancies in the United States and over 163,500 positions filled by underqualified teachers. While these numbers paint a relatively dire picture for the education system today, all hope is not lost. With the right strategy, and a little creativity, you can find and retain qualified teachers for your Catholic high school.

Best-fit teacher recruitment

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) reports that public school teachers make an average of 32.8% more than their private school counterparts. Most Catholic schools cannot compete with public schools on compensation. Therefore, it’s important to think strategically about what else motivates someone to work at a Catholic school.

Many educators choose to teach at a Catholic school because they feel it is a calling. They value their role in the academic and spiritual formation of students and appreciate the faith-based, supportive community that a Catholic school offers. Many of these individuals have experienced the benefits of a Catholic school education first hand. They have attended a Catholic school themselves, sent a loved one to a Catholic school, or spent time teaching at one. This makes Catholic school alumni, parishioners and other members of the Catholic community a viable pool of people to prioritize in your recruitment efforts.

Here are a few examples of how you can access qualified educators from within this community of Catholic school believers:

• Reach out to alumni who graduated from your high school and are currently teaching, studying to become a teacher or considering a career change. If they had a positive experience at your school, they may welcome the opportunity to rejoin your school and faith community as a teacher.
• Contact some of the many Catholic Teacher Corps, like Notre Dame’s Alliance for Catholic Education (ACE) or Loyola Marymount University’s PLACE Corps, to gain access to talented graduates with Catholic school teaching experience and training.
• Start an in-house formation program to provide recent college graduates with a path to learn, excel and become a teacher at your school. Promote the program to your church and school community, as well as Catholic colleges. Many high schools have started these programs often referred to as Alumni Service Corps (ASC).  Marquette University High School’s ASC is celebrating its 30th year this fall.
• Work with religious volunteer organizations, such as Jesuit Volunteer Corps or Seattle University Mathematics (SUM) Corps, to provide students or other faith-driven individuals with service, networking and learning opportunities that could lead to a permanent teaching position at your school.
• Team up with other Catholic high schools that are struggling to fill teaching positions or find teachers with specialized training or qualifications. They may be open to creative solutions like a teacher-share arrangement where qualified teachers fill course needs at both schools.
• Recruit Catholic school teachers from outside your geographic location and allow them to teach remotely. This will allow you to access a larger pool of qualified educators.
• Partner with an accredited, online-learning provider, like Catholic Virtual, to access quality, Catholic-school trained educators. This is a great way to bypass recruitment altogether while ensuring that you have quality teachers to lead courses, including those that require specialized or advanced teaching qualifications.
• Ask your Catholic community of coaches, civic leaders, priests, parents, business professionals and others to co-teach, fill temporary openings, guest speak or undergo training to assist other teachers or fill open positions.

Recruitment and retention work together

Recruitment and retention go hand in hand. If you recruit teachers who are a good fit for your Catholic high school, you are more likely to retain them for the long term. Conversely, if you work hard to retain your teachers by offering programs and perks that address their wants, needs and pain points — recruitment will be a lot easier.

If you think about it, a teacher’s first day in the classroom isn’t that much different than their last day, 10, 20, 40 years later. We expect teachers to go into a classroom and stay engaged and excited for years, all without the flexibility and benefits that many other professions offer. Finding creative ways to inspire, enrich, excite and empower teachers to lead with more autonomy, flexibility and passion is one way to drive retention, and in turn, recruit more best-fit teachers for your high school.

Here are a few ideas to get you started:

• Give teachers flex days to dedicate toward a passion project, enrichment event or other activity that aligns with their subject-matter expertise. They will appreciate the self-improvement time, but may also gain inspiration and knowledge they can bring back to the classroom.
• After a certain number of years, give teachers the opportunity to take a sabbatical for a semester. They’ll look forward to the change of pace and come back refreshed and renewed.
• Reward teachers for milestones and achievements to show you appreciate their loyalty and hard work. Let them choose from a list of rewards, such as gift cards, lunch outings, a subscription to Audible or Hallow, an extra day off or another creative idea.
• Create an annual “Teacher of the Year” award that recognizes one teacher each year for their outstanding achievements and commitment. If possible, add a monetary element to the reward and present the winner with a lifesize cardboard check during a public ceremony.
• Employ a director of faculty formation< who works with teachers on their professional and spiritual development.
• Offer fun engagement opportunities for teachers, such as a faculty field trip to a local attraction or a book club that features staff picks like “Teach Like a Champion,” “Tattoos on the Heart” and “Learning to Pray.”
• Introduce different learning modalities, such as online courses for virtual learning, in-person and remote guest speakers and video lectures, to give teachers and students more variety and flexibility. As technology continues to play a larger role in academics and the professional world, you may want to think about how it can benefit your overall Catholic school experience.
• Consider the work of Brent Maddin from Arizona State University and build a team of adults who can share a roster of students. This will provide teachers with more flexibility, socialization, variety and autonomy. For more on this approach,listen to “The Next Class 2.0” podcast featuring Brent Maddin.

Meet Catholic Virtual

Catholic Virtual is the online partner that hundreds of Catholic schools worldwide trust to help them overcome their recruitment and retention challenges. With current teacher shortages, it’s harder than ever for schools to find — much less retain — qualified teachers.

By partnering with Catholic Virtual, you can continue to provide the high-quality Catholic education you are known for, without the staffing and operational burden. As a Cognia accredited, Catholic school partner, we develop the curriculum, provide qualified teachers, supply a reliable technology platform and handle student communication, grading, technical support and more. Take the pressure off recruitment and lighten the load for your existing teachers with a remote, online learning solution that’s designed specifically for Catholic schools.

To learn more about Catholic Virtual and how we can help with your recruitment and retention efforts, please visit catholicvirtual.com today or call 772-362-1754.