Welcome to Green Apple Pod! GAP is a documentary-style podcast, with each season focusing on a major issue in education policy. This first episode will focus on teacher attrition and why teachers are or are not staying in the classroom. Make sure to subscribe now, please enjoy this sneak peek of our first episode, and we'll see you on January 31st!

Welcome to Green Apple Pod, for people who want to think about education a little bit differently. We're kicking off our inaugural season on teacher attrition by discussing the elephant in the room - COVID-19. For the record, the pandemic didn't cause the teacher shortage, but it sure didn't help it. Featuring an evidence-based discussion by University of Arkansas researchers Dr. Gema Zamarro and doctoral fellow Andrew Camp, this first episode dives deep into what the numbers actually say about COVID-19 and teacher attrition. Then, we'll talk with two teachers who actually did leave the classroom during the pandemic, but the stories are more complex than you may think.   Let us know what you think of our first episode! Like, review, and share so that we can keep shining a light on this problem, and start thinking about how we're going to fix it.    Sources:  Understanding How COVID-19 Has Changed Teachers' Chances of Remaining in the Classroom, referenced by Dr. Zamarro and Andrew Camp.

We've all heard that statistic that almost half of all teachers leave the classroom within five years of starting their careers, but let's dig deeper. Which teachers are more likely to leave - teachers in wealthy schools or low-income schools? White teachers or teachers of color? Would paying them more keep them in the classroom? These are just a few of the questions we answer on the second episode of Green Apple Pod, The Teacher Attrition Vortex.  Featuring interviews with Dr. Kaitlin Anderson of Lehigh University and Dr. Rob Connor of Christina Seix Academy, the second episode of our series primes you for conversations to come about how money, stress, and "extra duties as assigned" push teachers out of our K-12 classrooms.  Sources:  Teacher Mobility, School Segregation, and Pay-Based Policies to Level the Playing Field, referenced by Dr. Kaitlin Anderson. Examining Teacher Turnover, Past and Present, dissertation written by Dr. Rob Connor.

We've talked about what the research says about teacher retention, but we haven't heard about it at the source yet. What does it look like for a school leader who's trying to fill vacancies in their district? Monica McMurray, the director of recruitment and retention for a local school district that struggles with teacher retention, details her tactics to get teachers in classrooms for her students. Then we flip the script again and hear from two women who want to teach, but can't. The third episode of #theteacherattritionvortex series is all about the struggles to find certified teachers, and how hard should it be to become a certified teacher. Interested in the conversation? Engage with us by liking, rating, and reviewing episodes. We'd love to hear from you and know what you think.

We’ve talked about the research and we’ve talked about what it looks like for school leaders. Now, let’s break down the most common argument in the teacher shortage: pay. Flipping the old argument of “outcome not income” on its head, the fourth episode of Green Apple Pod examines instances where there clearly wasn’t enough pay, when pay wasn’t enough, and the “scarcity mindset” we all need to abandon if we’re going to ebb the flow of the teacher shortage.   Sources: Oklahoma Department of Education source on teacher attrition.  Opportunity Culture implementation by Public Impact.    Want to learn more about our guests?  Here's Shawn Sheehan's blog. Here's Erica Jordan-Thomas's website.

Teaching is consistently ranked as one of the most stressful jobs in America, but how much is stress related to burnout and teacher attrition? On this episode of Green Apple Pod, we dive into how stress and emotional burnout contribute to teachers exiting the classroom. From a lack of support to complete compassion fatigue, the teachers in this week's episode get vulnerable about their time in the classroom, what made them leave, and what they hope will change in the future.  Trigger Warning: This episode includes conversations around anxiety, abuse, and suicide. Listener discretion is advised.

In the second half of our two-part episode on teacher stress and burnout, Green Apple Pod examines serious examples of stress and trauma that, unfortunately, are becoming less uncommon for teachers across the country. The episode ends with an interview from UCONN researcher Dr. Lisa Sanetti with a discussion around the impact of teacher stress, secondary trauma, and what we can do to alleviate it so that we lose fewer teachers to burnout.    Trigger warning for sexual assault, sexual harassment and cyberbullying beginning at the 19:15 mark.    Resources: The American Psychological Association's survey on teacher assault.  EdWeek's preliminary investigation into sexual assault and harassment of teachers.  The Journal of School Violence's 2020 article on teacher assault.

We've talked money and we've talked stress, but what about the day-in, day-out grind of teaching? The loneliness in rural schools, the frustration of difficulties moving upward, and the difficulties of politics that put the best interest of students in the middle?  The first part of our two-part episode on leadership and school culture is out now. Featuring interviews from two former teachers, "Extra Duties as Assigned" examines some of the smaller things that build up over time, and which may drive teachers out of the classroom.