Teacher Retention Across the Career Continuum: From New Educators to Experienced Teachers

New and Alternatively Certified Teachers Can Help Shape the Future of Teacher Retention

VICTORVILLE, CA, UNITED STATES, October 7, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- When schools talk about teacher retention, much of the conversation understandably focuses on teachers who leave. Dr. Mary Rivers, retired educator and founder of Teacher Retention Academy, believes schools should also be asking an equally important question:

Why do teachers stay?

Teachers who remain in their schools can provide valuable insight into the relationships, leadership practices, working conditions, and experiences that encourage educators to build careers within an organization.

“We need to understand why teachers leave, but we can learn just as much by listening to the teachers who stay,” Rivers said. “They can help us identify what is working, what gives them a sense of belonging, and what makes them believe their school is a place where they can continue to grow.”

Rivers believes those lessons are especially important as schools welcome a new generation of educators, including teachers entering classrooms through alternative certification pathways.

New and alternatively certified teachers represent an important part of the future teacher workforce. They may enter education with different backgrounds, professional experiences, preparation, strengths, and support needs. Rivers believes schools should resist assuming that every beginning teacher needs the same thing.

Instead, educational leaders can view the early years of teaching as a critical opportunity to build the conditions for long-term retention.

“Hiring a new teacher should be the beginning of our investment, not the end of the hiring process,” Rivers said. “The question should not simply be, ‘How do we get teachers into our classrooms?’ It should also be, ‘What will help them become successful teachers who want to remain?’”

That may require mentoring, strong relationships with administrators and colleagues, practical instructional support, realistic expectations, opportunities to ask for help, meaningful feedback, professional growth, and a workplace culture where beginning teachers feel they belong.

For alternatively certified teachers, individualized support can be especially important. Some may bring significant professional and life experience into the classroom while needing additional support in areas unique to teaching. Recognizing both their strengths and their needs allows schools to move beyond a one-size-fits-all approach.

Experienced teachers who choose to stay can also be part of the solution.

Their knowledge of students, school culture, instruction, and the profession can help schools understand what promotes longevity. When appropriate structures are in place, experienced educators can also help new colleagues navigate the realities of teaching and develop a stronger sense of connection to the profession.

Teacher Retention Academy encourages schools and districts to connect these two conversations: learn from those who stay and use those lessons to strengthen the experience of those who are just beginning.

“If we want a different retention future, we have to think differently about the beginning of a teacher’s career,” Rivers said. “New and alternatively certified teachers are not simply people we hire to fill today’s vacancies. They are part of the future of our profession. How we support them now can influence whether they are still teaching years from now.”

Through professional learning, consultation, resources, and practical strategies, Teacher Retention Academy helps educational leaders examine the full teacher experience—from entry into the profession through the conditions that encourage teachers to build long-term careers.

The future of teacher retention may begin by asking two simple questions:

What can we learn from the teachers who stay?

And how can we use what we learn to help the next generation of teachers stay, too?

For Teacher Retention Academy, answering those questions is an important part of moving education From Hiring Teachers to Keeping Teachers.

About Teacher Retention Academy
Founded by retired educator Dr. Mary Rivers, Teacher Retention Academy helps educational leaders develop practical and locally responsive approaches to teacher retention. The Academy focuses on strengthening leadership, workplace culture, teacher support, and the systems that help educators—from beginning teachers to experienced professionals—thrive and remain in the profession.

Teacher Retention Academy
From Hiring Teachers to Keeping Teachers

For more information, visit teacherretentionacademy.com.

Dr. Mary Rivers
Teacher Retention Academy
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