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Strategic Research Projects Abraham S. Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice Student Publications

8-2025

The Impact of Teacher Mentorship and Professional Learning The Impact of Teacher Mentorship and Professional Learning

Communities on Improving Teacher Retention Rates Communities on Improving Teacher Retention Rates

Candice N. Brock

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The Impact of Teacher Mentorship and Professional Learning Communities on

Improving Teacher Retention Rates

by

Candice N. Brock

A Strategic Research Project Submitted to the

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education

and School of Criminal Justice in Partial

Fulfillment of the Requirements for the

Degree of Doctor of Education

Nova Southeastern University

2025

ii

Approval Page

This strategic research project was submitted by Candice N. Brock under the direction of

the persons listed below. It was submitted to the Abraham S. Fischler College of

Education and School of Criminal Justice and approved in partial fulfillment of the

requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education at Nova Southeastern University.

Gina Peyton, EdD

SRP Faculty Member

Kimberly Durham, PsyD

Dean

iii

Statement of Original Work

I declare the following:

I have read the Code of Student Conduct and Academic Responsibility as described in the

Student Handbook of Nova Southeastern University. This Strategic Research Project

represents my original work, except where I have acknowledged the ideas, words, or

material of other authors.

Where another author’s ideas have been presented in this Strategic Research Project, I

have acknowledged the author’s ideas by citing them in the required style.

Where another author’s words have been presented in this Strategic Research Project, I

have acknowledged the author’s words by using appropriate quotation devices and

citations in the required style.

I have obtained permission from the author or publisher—in accordance with the required

guidelines—to include any copyrighted material (e.g., tables, figures, survey instruments,

large portions of text) in this Strategic Research Project manuscript.

Candice N. Brock

Name

August 7, 2025

iv

Acknowledgments

The author gratefully acknowledges the generous support and collaboration of the current

and past stakeholders of Sunflower County Consolidated School District, Leland School

District and Memphis-Shelby County Schools. Their commitment to their teachers and

students is the driving force behind this research.

A special and heartfelt thank you is extended to Dr. Gina Peyton, whose expert

instruction, leadership, and insightful input were instrumental in shaping this plan. Her

guidance was invaluable to the research process.

v

Dedication

To my beloved family,

This strategic research plan is dedicated to you.

To my parents, thank you for your unwavering love, guidance, and support, which have

been my anchors throughout life.

To my children, Jaden and Chandler, your constant motivation inspires me every day to

work towards a better future.

To my sister, April, you have been my biggest advocate and cheerleader, offering endless

support and encouragement.

To my nephew, Anfernee, and niece, Alexia, thank you for your help along the way.

To Marcus, your partnership and support have been an influential factor, and I am

grateful you have held my hand through this entire process.

To Cordarius, thank you for being the friend I have always needed.

Your collective love and support have made this work possible.

vi

Executive Summary

The Impact of Teacher Mentorship and Professional Learning Communities on

Improving Teacher Retention Rates. Candice N. Brock, 2025: Strategic Research Project,

Nova Southeastern University, Abraham S. Fischler College of Education and School of

Criminal Justice. Keywords: attrition, Professional Learning Community (PLC),

retention, teacher shortage, teacher mentorship programs, teacher turnover

The purpose of this strategic research project is to thoroughly investigate and understand

how the implementation of teacher mentorship programs and professional learning

communities (PLCs) influences the rate at which teachers remain in the profession.

Essentially, it aims to determine if, and to what extent, these two specific strategies can

effectively combat teacher turnover. The problem addresses the pervasive and

detrimental issue of teacher attrition and low teacher retention rates within the education

system. This is a critical problem with wide-ranging negative consequences for students,

schools, and the broader educational landscape. The solution proposed by this project is

to systematically implement and optimize high-quality teacher mentorship programs and

robust professional learning communities (PLCs) as primary interventions to enhance

teacher retention.

The strategy will involve a multi-pronged approach to both investigate and address the

problem and also focus on robust data collection and analysis, coupled with the

development and evaluation of model interventions. The ultimate goal is to provide

actionable insights and scalable solutions for educational systems facing teacher retention

challenges. The key strategy will be the development and testing of best practice models

for mentorship and PLCs. For this strategic research project, specific action steps would

be developed to implement strategies such as developing needs assessments; fostering

relationships with stakeholders and members of the community; enhancing technological

infrastructure; launch faculty and student training initiatives; and establish ongoing

monitoring and evaluation mechanisms. A significant recommendation would be to

mandate and adequately fund high-quality initial and ongoing training for both mentors

and PLC facilitators.

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Table of Contents

Page

Part 1: Critical Analysis .......................................................................................................1

Researcher’s Role ....................................................................................................1

Description of the Setting ........................................................................................3

Organizational Background and History .....................................................4

The Mission Statement ................................................................................5

The Vision Statement ...................................................................................7

The Value Statement ....................................................................................8

Organizational Reputation and Sustainability .............................................9

Relevant Terms ......................................................................................................12

Identify Potential Gaps or Areas for Growth .........................................................13

Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats (SWOT) ..........................14

Internal Factor Evaluation (IFE) ................................................................31

External Factor Evaluation (EFE) ..............................................................36

Part 2: Define the Problem .................................................................................................41

Synthesis of Literature Related to the Problem .....................................................41

Research Methods ......................................................................................43

Pertinent Models, Frameworks, or Theories ..............................................44

Summary of Findings .................................................................................46

Statement of the Problem .......................................................................................47

Description of the Context of the Problem ................................................48

Scope and Significance of the Problem .....................................................48

Rationale for Investigating the Problem ....................................................49

Well-Defined Problem Statement ..............................................................50

Part 3: Research Possible Solutions ...................................................................................51

Introduction ............................................................................................................50

Possible Solutions ..................................................................................................51

Possible Solution One: Mentorship Programs ...........................................51

Possible Solution Two: Reducing Teacher Workload ...............................58

Possible Solution Three: Leadership Stability ...........................................65

Possible Solution Four: Financial Incentives .............................................71

Part 4: Select a Solution .....................................................................................................77

Overview of the Four Solutions .............................................................................77

Advantages (Pros) and Disadvantages (Cons) of Solutions ..................................79

Solution One: Mentorship Programs .........................................................80

Solution Two: Reducing Teacher Workload .............................................82

Solution Three: Leadership Stability .........................................................84

Solution Four: Financial Incentives ...........................................................86

Discussion of Barriers ............................................................................................88

Solution One: Mentorship Programs .........................................................89

Solution Two: Reducing Teacher Workload .............................................91

Solution Three: Leadership Stability .........................................................92

viii

Solution Four: Financial Incentives ...........................................................94

Summary of Rationale for Selected Solution.........................................................96

Part 5: Strategies to Accomplish the Selected Solution .....................................................98

Strategy One: Teacher Mentorship ........................................................................99

Synthesis of Literature Related to Teacher Mentorship ........................................99

Strategy Two: The Development of Professional Learning Communities .........101

Synthesis of Literature Related to PLCs ..............................................................103

Part 6: Evaluation of the Strategies ..................................................................................104

Quantitative Strategic Plan Matrix.......................................................................104

Evaluation of Internal Factor Evaluation .................................................105

Discussion of Internal Factors That Influence the Plan ...........................107

Evaluation of External Factor Evaluation ................................................108

Discussion of External Factors That Influence the Plan ..........................110

First Alternative Attractiveness Score and Benefit for the Organization ............112

Second Alternative Attractiveness Score and Benefit for the Organization ........113

Summary of Most Important Strategy .................................................................114

Part 7: Development of an Action Plan ...........................................................................116

Action Steps .........................................................................................................116

Timeline ...............................................................................................................119

Roles and Responsibilities ...................................................................................119

Resources .............................................................................................................120

Organizational Support ........................................................................................121

Barriers or Resistance ..........................................................................................121

Evaluation ............................................................................................................122

Reflection on the Overall Experience ..................................................................122

Part 8: Audio-Visual Presentation of SRP .......................................................................123

Narrative of Electronic Presentation ....................................................................123

Peer Review Questions ........................................................................................125

Oral Defense of the SRP ......................................................................................127

Narrative Defense of Selected Questions ............................................................128

Part 9: Conclusion ............................................................................................................132

Contribution to the Field ......................................................................................132

Recommendations ................................................................................................134

Final Conclusions.................................................................................................135

References ........................................................................................................................137

Appendices

A. Mission Statement ...........................................................................................163

B. Vision Statement .............................................................................................165

C. Value Statement ..............................................................................................167

D. Action Plan ......................................................................................................169

E. PowerPoint Presentation ..................................................................................171

ix

F. Peer Review Questions ....................................................................................184

Tables

1. Strengths ............................................................................................................19

2. Weaknesses ........................................................................................................23

3. Opportunities......................................................................................................27

4. Threats................................................................................................................30

5. Internal Factor Evaluation Matrix ......................................................................31

6. Four Strengths and Four Weaknesses Factors ...................................................35

7. External Factor Evaluation Matrix.....................................................................36

8. Four Opportunities and Four Threats Factors ....................................................40

9. Quantitative Strategic Plan Matrix: Internal…………………………………106

10. Quantitative Strategic Plan Matrix: External……………………………….109

11. Total Attractiveness Scores…………………………………………………115

1

Part 1: Critical Analysis

This strategic research project aims to critically discuss MSCS. This analysis will

focus on the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of this organization.

Findings from this evaluation will improve the analysis of the systems and structures that

underpin the district's functioning and planning. MSCS is one of the largest districts in

Tennessee, with more than 100,000 students, and it has the noble goal of offering equal

and quality education. As a school with a population of students with varied backgrounds

and learning abilities, Mighty Lions Elementary School stands in a central position in the

district to push this agenda by promoting excellence in performance and meeting the

excellence of the learners.

This analysis comprises the following subsections: the position of the researcher,

description of the setting, and the identification of potential gaps and areas for growth.

According to Shields (2020), transformative leadership fosters inclusive change, making

it critical to analyze these elements through a systems-thinking lens to support

organizational improvements.

Researcher’s Role

As a professional educator at Mighty Lions Elementary School, I am committed

to building a supportive and inclusive environment for students from diverse cultural and

socioeconomic backgrounds. I am expected to teach using evidence-based practice that

reflects the school's belief in seeking excellence and equity. I do this by being well-

versed in the different approaches to teaching so that I may serve all students' needs while

reaching their full potential. Additionally, I participate in professional development

activities that further improve my teaching methodologies to meet the standards of

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education district wide. My contributions go beyond the classroom to supporting the

organization's strategic goals through active participation in curriculum development,

data-driven instructional planning, and collaborative initiatives that promote school

improvement. For example, I have contributed to school improvement committees by

analyzing student performance data to determine growth areas and implementing targeted

interventions. I also mentor new teachers to build a collaborative environment and

professional growth.

As Edwards-Groves et al. (2019) claimed, a good educator must know how to live

with organizational changes; after all, leadership at the school level drives the effective

development of a positive learning culture. Further, linking my role to these principles

implies active participation in achieving MLES’ mission of preparing its students for life

in an ever-changing world. The competencies necessary in the job as a teacher involve

collaboration, data analysis, and leadership to perform my tasks. Interpersonal skills

involve teamwork to establish cooperation with colleagues, parents, and other

stakeholders in the whole-school approach to support the needs of students (Caena &

Redecker, 2019). For example, I communicate with other practitioners in devising cross-

curricular lessons that improve problem-solving abilities.

Another critical competency that I apply to improve instructional outcomes is data

analysis. Using student performance metrics, I can identify trends and areas for

intervention so that my teaching strategies are practical and evidence based. This helps

me to adapt my approaches to suit diverse learner needs. Leadership plays a huge role in

my research capacity, as I am involved in decision activities at the school. Diamond and

Spillane (2020) state that distributed leadership enhances collective efficacy and shared

3

responsibility among schools. I apply the principles of leadership to facilitate

collaborative efforts aligned with the goals of Mighty Lions Elementary for the success

of the students and the organization.

Description of the Setting

Once two separate districts, MCS and MSCS, MSCS now serves over 100,000

students in more than 200 schools. With more than 14,000 employees, it is the second-

largest employer in MSC, which includes over 6,500 teachers. Through an ambitious

strategic plan, Destination 2025, which commits stakeholders to three goals: 80% of

students are college or career ready, 90 % of seniors graduate on time, and 100% of

graduates enroll in a post-secondary opportunity. To achieve these goals, MSCS has put a

substantial focus on five key areas: early literacy, improvement of post-secondary

readiness, development of strong teachers, leaders, and support staff, expansion of high-

quality school options, and engagement with families and community partners to support

the schools. MSCS works with almost 3,900 volunteers and has nearly 1,100 total school

adopters and community partners to help achieve these ambitious goals. As Smith et al.

(2023) pointed out, it was created to assist the socialization of people through quality

education, evidencing the district's real support of diversity and equity in learning

settings. Gradually, MSCS expanded its services to a broader range of diversified

students in Memphis and Shelby County. The school was brought within the district's

care as part of this endeavor, being supportive and facilitating an environment of learning

particular to the community. As proposed by Gamage et al. (2022), the school helps to

enhance the objectives of MSCS by offering quality schooling and avowing to culturally

and economically marginalized children. According to Smith et al. (2023), institutions

4

such as Mighty Lions Elementary support the districts’ vision of attaining an efficient and

culturally relevant learning institution.

Since its establishment, MSCS has accomplished some things that point to its

capacity to deliver and promote education quality and equity. Some of the achievements

realized by the district in its reform quest have been enhanced work on the all-around

development of comprehensive programs for teachers. According to Darling-Hammond

et al. (2024), such policies better equipped teachers with competencies that improved

instructional quality across the district. The district has also initiated policies in data-

driven decision-making and allocating appropriate resources to schools for the varied

needs of all students.

Organizational Background and History

The school district was founded in 1867 on the guiding principles that called for

quality education for all students, irrespective of their economic or racial status. Rooted

in the heart of Whitehaven, it is one of the largest school districts and has received

numerous awards and achievements including Level 5 Top Ratings for two consecutive

years as a result of outstanding data and top scores on standardized tests (TVAAS). The

school district has actively implemented functional new teaching approaches and

partnerships with funders that have enhanced achievement and supported community

relations (Hollowell, 2019). According to Darling-Hammond et al. (2018), the efforts to

support educational equity are reflected in schools such as Mighty Lions Elementary

School because such schools provide evidence of how positive outcomes can be fostered

through policy and ensuing professional development support. The support of MSCS’s

goals further enshrines in the school the responsibility of being the harbinger of change

5

within the local habitat. Mighty Lions Elementary is a public elementary school with a

student body of approximately 750 in grades pre-K—5 and a student population over

93% African American. The academic success of Mighty Lions Elementary falls within

the average range at the state and district levels for essential subjects like math, English

language arts, and science. In the 2023-2024 school year, an almost non-existent 40.5%

of the school's students were deemed to be proficient or better in math—compared with

39.7% across the state and 20% in the district. The school's performance is particularly

within normal limits for subgroups like female students, male students, and those from

low-socioeconomic backgrounds.

Today, MSCS still remains one of Tennessee's largest and most racially integrated

districts, enrolling over a thousand students. Williams (2018) explained that

implementing SEL (social and emotional learning) has been considered a flagship

structure in the district, celebrating the learners' and staff's mutual support. Regarding

demographics, Mighty Lions Elementary is diverse, so the school aligns with the district's

mission (Tichnor-Wagner & Manise, 2019). Due to academic success and the school's

adherence to SEL practices, the positivity of the school climate proves the efficiency of

MSCS's strategic directions for the positive development of students.

The Mission Statement

In education, goal statements refer to the critical components that guide an

institution’s strategic direction, culture, and practice. A mission statement outlines the

key responsibility of an organization and its primary purpose, including whom the

organization serves and what change it intends to realize (Seeber et al., 2019). In contrast,

mission statements focus on the future and outline the institution's future course. These

6

statements are essential because they enable every member of the educational community

to accept the notion of the organization’s role and develop a shared context for people’s

actions. They are relevant in the allocation of priorities, the formation of strategies to be

used in operationalization, and evaluations of the achievement of institutional goals. Such

statements give direction and meaning to the educators, learners, and school community.

In addition, they help define the likes of concepts such as teacher turnover and student

performance. Kraft et al. (2018) establish that the mission, vision, and values provide

structure to an organization to bring about change and improve performance for all

stakeholders.

The mission is the basis for the guiding framework from which the organization

makes its major decisions and in which it does its strategic planning (Adebanke Olusola

et al., 2022). The identified values encompass equity, academic achievement, community

connections, and safety in the manifestation of its mission to provide a caring learning

climate for all learners. Mighty Lions Elementary fully identifies and aligns with the

district's mission and vision. As Niedlich et al. (2020) pointed out, trust is considered the

key resource for school improvement, and its development begins with an alignment of

district- and school-level mission, vision, and values. This ensures a shared commitment,

making sure that stakeholders at all levels are collaboratively contributing to achieving

shared goals. MLES upholds the principles of MSCS and what it perceives as core

district tenets: equity, academic excellence, and community engagement. The school is

committed to nurturing students into leaders who become academically and socially

prepared for life (see Appendix A).

The Vision Statement

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The vision of an organization should reflect its abiding hacking that is

freewheeling enough so that the telescopic view of the future can light up a desired future

state. A compelling vision can inspire and align effort for a continuous growth effort

towards success (Akter, 2020). The school's ideal focus would be a student-centered

learning environment concentrating on setting goals, building perseverance, and building

foundational skills. MSCS is the district responsible for educating children in S County,

whose vision is for all students to be ready to learn, lead, and live. Its vision relates to

becoming one of the best school districts that appeal to great students and educational

professionals from racially, ethnically, and culturally diverse backgrounds (Thigpen,

2023). Jonyo et al. (2018) deem such reports necessary to ensure an organizational

culture of integrity, which, in turn, influences how employees interact with each other

and stakeholders from the outside. When one considers relevance to a school district,

these aforementioned statements help shape the appearance of a cohesive identity and the

reality of a strategic direction.

MSCS’s present vision statement relates to becoming one of the best school

districts that appeal to great students and educational professionals from racially,

ethnically, and culturally diverse backgrounds (Thigpen, 2023). The statement paints a

picture of what the organization wants to become in the future. According to

Fitzsimmons et al. (2022), a vision statement provides direction on choice making by

portraying a desired and attractive future to employees and stakeholders. It is a visionary

proclamation to facilitate strategic coherence and advancement on all levels. In order to

foster integrity of the organization with the vision statement in mind, the core values

(mutual respect, cooperation, and acceptance of responsibility) should be embedded in

8

the actions and decisions that guide it. Jihaddudin et al. (2024) state the work program is

strongly influenced by the core values that guide the organization. Core values are crucial

to carrying out the strategy because they model the behavior of your organization and

your people. Job satisfaction measures an individual's happiness with the work they are

currently doing inside the organization, whereas organizational commitment refers to an

individual's dedication to the company they work for. Employees who are familiar with

the mission and vision will be more satisfied with their jobs and committed to the

organization if the vision is what makes an organization more successful and the mission

helps the organization realize success that frequently encompasses broader societal goals

(Dobrinić & Fabac, 2021). The organization’s current vision statement is to be the

leading school district that will magnetize a diverse selection of stakeholders contributing

to excellence (see Appendix B).

The Value Statement

There are several ways to make the mission, vision, and value statements of

MSCS more effective. The value statements of this school include a collective decision-

making process, different approaches toward instruction, and continuous professional

development that go along with the aims of MSCS. Value statements define the concepts

that guide stakeholder behavior. First, measurable and specific goals could be included in

the mission and vision statements of the district to outline what would constitute success.

For instance, objectives regarding improving graduation rates or narrowing achievement

gaps would be examples of aligning statements with actionable priorities. Moreover,

explicitly embedding social and emotional learning in the value statements will make the

district's focus on the holistic development of students more articulate.

9

As discussed by Dusenbury et al. (2019), SEL has been recognized as

increasingly critical for academic and personal success. Simultaneously, a value

statement expresses the fundamental beliefs and standards of an organization that steer its

practices and governance. Jonyo et al. (2018) deem such reports necessary to ensure an

organizational culture of integrity, which, in turn, influences how employees interact with

each other and stakeholders from the outside. When one considers relevance to a school

district, these aforementioned statements help shape the appearance of a cohesive identity

and the reality of a strategic direction.

As Fullan (2018) affirms, it calls for robust leadership to materialize

organizational goals. MSCS should ensure that school leaders have various continuous

professional growth opportunities so that they may be able to convert such statements

into strategies successfully at the school level. Community partnership reinforcement

may further enhance resource availability for closer alignment between district objectives

and the mission and vision. Summaries of an organization's core values function as

statements of purpose; they impact behavior and corporate culture by serving as a

compass for decision-making. Since innovation is the fundamental component of

organizational sustainability, practitioners and researchers should be interested in the

study of processes that foster innovation (Zeb et al., 2021). Organizational culture can be

displayed by way of values statements and can potentially affect organizational strategy

and organizational communication. Wording is extremely important in creating a values

statement, and that statement must clearly reflect the cultural values of the organization.

MSCS values a distinct and comprehensive place of work that embodies great assets for

students and a high level of opportunity (see Appendix C).

10

Organizational Reputation and Sustainability

Reputation. Reputation in educational organizations includes estimating an

institution's perceived quality, performance level, and overall credibility by a large

populace of stakeholders. It gains the people's trust and interest, improving the potential

for community involvement while enabling it to attract quality professionals and other

high-quality resources beneficial to its success in the longer term (Aithal & Maiya, 2024).

Ladson-Billings (2019) states that reputation factors in stakeholders' investment choices

for culturally diverse spaces.

MSCS is one of Tennessee's largest and most diverse districts, serving more than

100,000 students. The district has engendered trust with parents, educators, and

community members through its reputation for fostering equity and inclusiveness. All its

stakeholders have very well received their focus on social and emotional learning,

equitable distribution of resources, and professional development. However, the school

district does have challenges with some schools: academic achievement gaps and a lack

of engagement from parents.

MLES enjoys the broader reputation of MSCS while building its identity within

the community. The school's approach to student-centered learning and collaboration

enhances the principles of the district, further developing trust among the families and

community partners. According to Brown (2019), an institution that embraces culturally

relevant practices increases its reputation by showing interest in solving the specific

needs of diverse communities. Being on par with these practices makes Mighty Lions

Elementary hold a reputable position in the trust of MSCS parents.

11

Sustainability. Sustainability in education entails the institutional capacity to

sustain and grow its operations, resources, and practices in continuous improvement to

meet emerging needs. It means fostering leadership development and ensuring

appropriate use of resources; an environmental and social responsibility culture is also

assured. Education sustainability entails identifying system-wide inequities to realize

lasting opportunities for all students (Noguera et al., 2018).

Strategic leadership and resource distribution have helped MSCS become

sustainable. Professional development, school facility upgrades, and classroom

technology are long-term investments for the district. This has been further enhanced by

incorporating SEL and evidence-based decision-making to keep schools adaptive and

resilient (Williamson, 2021). The district is at the forefront, with every potential to meet

the needs of students with great diversity.

MSCS can expand on sustainability by implementing more district-wide

sustainability projects, including renewable energy systems in schools, less use of paper,

and more use of technology. Having the different subgroups of schools, such as Mighty

Lions Elementary School, form sustainability committees would help staff and students

embrace a sustainability culture. Further, forming environmental education programs

jointly with local organizations might introduce long-term awareness among students.

MLES supplements this vision by introducing sustainable practices in the school

as an institution. The school furthers leadership development in educators, resource-

efficient pedagogies, and community collaborations to advance the sustainability of their

work. As Noguera et al. (2018) argue, institutions that address both immediate and

systemic barriers create ongoing avenues to success. Inclusive education and continuous

12

improvement are the focuses of the school, which is in tune with the sustainability goals

of MSCS and positioned to serve effectively for future generations.

The school district and MLES reveal the focus on equity, academics, and stability.

From a meaningful mission, vision, and value clarification, MSCS cultivates a

welcoming climate for students and educators. The school will not be an exception as it

promotes these principles by ensuring the school operates by the district’s strategic

direction, focusing on innovation and community participation. Specific areas for

improvement remain available to complement areas in need and the necessity for more

efficient integration with the community. These measures will better prepare MSCS for

future long-term work on creating adequate educational opportunities for students of

color.

Relevant Terms

Attrition generally refers to the loss of students or teachers from a school or

system (Ryan & Greig, 2018).

Professional Learning Community (PLC) is a group of educators who collaborate

to improve their teaching practices and, ultimately, student learning (Rizqi & Syafika,

2024).

Teacher retention refers to the ability of schools and districts to keep qualified

educators in their positions over time (Lochmiller et al., 2024).

Teacher mentorship is a structured process in which an experienced,

knowledgeable educator (the mentor) provides guidance and support to a less

experienced colleague (the mentee) (Snyder & Stoddart, 2025).

Teacher shortage occurs when there are not enough qualified and licensed

13

teachers to fill all the open teaching positions in a school or district (Nguyen et al., 2024).

Teacher turnover refers to the rate at which teachers leave their positions in a

school or district. It includes both teachers who leave the profession entirely (attrition)

and those who move to a different school or district (migration) (Carver-Thomas &

Darling-Hammond, 2019).

Identify Potential Gaps or Areas for Growth

The role of strategic planning as a key framework within the process of improving

organizational effectiveness and achieving sustainable improvement for educational

institutions hinges on this. As Akter (2020) suggested, strategic planning helps

organizations to establish their resources and capabilities in accordance with their long-

term objectives while coping with changes in the environmental conditions. In an

educational context, strategic planning plays an important role in providing instruction on

the organizational direction and direction in which institutions should concentrate for

improvement. According to Shields (2020), transformative leadership by way of strategic

planning allows for inclusive change and systematic improvement of the organizational

systems within educational settings. The phenomenon of strategic planning is a tool that

will serve MSCS to evaluate the current position, determine its internal capability, and

respond well to external factors in order to focus on its main activity, which is to give

quality education to every student. According to Darling-Hammond et al. (2024), such

systematic planning approaches equip educational institutions to more fully prepare

comprehensive programs to their benefit in terms of improving instructional quality as

well as student outcomes across the district.

14

As an educator at Mighty Lions Elementary School, several potential gaps within

the organizational structure warrant attention. Uneven application of professional

development initiatives is a point of interest; they have a direct bearing on the uniform

practice of innovative teaching across grade levels. In particular, as Caena and Redecker

(2019) point out, the gap is particularly marked in relation to the requirement to match

teacher competencies to 21st-century challenges. Niedlich et al. (2021) also identify two

crucial resources for sustainable school improvement, parent engagement, and

community partnerships, which the school struggles to maintain consistently. In addition,

the classrooms also differ with regard to the technology integration and resource

allocation toward them, and such imbalances in the provision of the content result in the

inequity in the delivery of the education. According to Edwards et al. (2019), such

organizational gaps can make a big difference in how effective site-based educational

development and student achievement outcomes are. In addition, the current data analysis

practices are less systematic and could be better integrated into daily instructional

decision-making processes.

Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT)

The SWOT analysis gives a holistic view of an organization’s strategic position

based on both internal and external factors that have an impact on its performance.

According to Fitzsimmons et al. (2022), this analytical approach allows organizations to

have a strategic coherence through both determining their core competencies and figuring

out which areas require improvement. Basically, speaking of educational institutions,

strengths are the capabilities and resources within an organization that facilitate better

functioning, such as hard work and established programs. Dobrini and Fabac (2021)

15

identified weaknesses as internal deficiencies or lack that may prevent the realization of

organizational objectives. External conditions or trends that may work to the

organization’s benefit if it learns to use them are an opportunity, whereas external

challenges that may hurt the organization if it is not able to cope with them are a threat.

According to Gamage et al. (2022), such systematic analysis helps educational

institutions to incorporate sustainability into their practices of learning and teaching and

informs them on areas of strategic development. Noguera et al. (2018) assert that the

school can use the SWOT framework to discover system-wide inequities and prepare

ongoing opportunities for all students and therefore is an essential instrument for an

inclusive, well-organized assessment and planning for improvement.

Strengths. The following 10 factors are as follows (see Table 1).

1. Vision Plan. In the area of the Vision Plan, MSCS clearly allows for leadership

to speak, though doing so represents a fundamental strength of the organization that

communicates MSCS’s strategic direction and its commitment to educational excellence.

According to Akter (2020), a clear vision facilitates the allocation of the resources and so

efforts toward the achievement of the long-term goals and decreasing the operations

ability. A vision plan is significant to an organization because it gives transparent

objectives and goals for the company. A vision plan progresses personnel toward a

general continuing target and should encourage them to perform at high levels and guide

all levels of management to warrant measures are constant within the plan. At the

simplest level, a vision plan serves as a roadmap for a company to proceed forward and

inspires all involved to make the company's vision a reality. Shields (2020) identifies

equitable education and student success as essential elements of transformative

16

educational leadership, and it is what the district’s vision plan purports. The strategic

vision spells out a framework by which decision-making of various natures in the whole

organization is based and maintains focus on the basic educational objectives.

2. Employee Expertise. Employee expertise, another major strength, shows that

the district purchased professional development and has invested in talent management.

For instance, as per Edwards-Groves et al. (2019), it is only skilled educators who can

drive positive change and use effective site-based educational development. Caena and

Redecker (2019) found that teacher capabilities must be developed to cope with the

current educational challenges, and the district’s focus on professional competency is

applicable. Employee expertise is critical to an organization as it directly impacts the

quality of work produced, drives innovation, enhances problem-solving abilities,

improves customer satisfaction, and ultimately contributes to the company's overall

success by ensuring efficient operations and a competitive edge in the market. More

importantly, proficient members of an organization are the strength of its structure. The

good news about experienced and competent staff is that it contributes to good

instructional quality and increased student achievement throughout the district.

3. Unique Opportunities. The organization’s willingness to have fun with the

craft of delivering education is demonstrated by their unique do-it-yourself opportunities.

As Darling-Hammond et al. (2024) state, flexibility in instructional approaches makes it

more possible for teachers to employ the best evidence-based practice. Williams (2018)

further states that innovative approaches increase student success and engagement. Thus,

these opportunities increase the dynamic learning environment by providing an open

environment to push creativity on both educators and students. It gives the capacity to

17

customize the way one learns, providing a better arrangement for changing learning

styles and needs.

4. Financial Performance. Strong financial performance acts as a main

organizational strength because it allows operations to stay sustainable and supports

major investments. Strategic management applications in financial administration design

an organizational setting where stability meets strategic pursuits (Dobrini and Fabac,

2021). Strong financial stability in the district makes it possible to invest in educational

resources (Hollowell, 2019). This would be combined with technology and professional

development programs. The organization maintains functioning educational programs

together with an emerging needs response by having financial stability.

5. Market Leadership. The educational district maintains its leadership stance

because its reputation extends to creating substantial influence across the educational

landscape. Organizations with a strong institutional reputation, according to Aithal and

Maiya (2024), gain better trust from stakeholders and establish stronger capabilities for

resource acquisition. The market leadership position of the district allows it to draw

excellent professionals (Niedlich et al., 2021). The market leadership also establishes

strategic community partnerships that support its implementation of innovative

educational projects. From the position of strength, the organization achieves two

benefits: it impacts educational policy, practices, and upholds superior academic

performance standards.

6. Customer Loyalty. The organization maintains high levels of customer loyalty

because it has cultivated exceptional relationships with students and their parents

combined with community stakeholders. Strong stakeholder relationships, according to

18

Niedlich et al. (2021), form an essential resource for educational improvement because

they bring significant benefits to educational success. They show how strong community

relationships yield institutional effectiveness (Brown, 2019). Positive relationships

between stakeholders allow the district to sustain autonomous support for its educational

initiatives and programs. Loyalty facilitates effective communication and collaboration

between the school system and its community.

7. Highly Profitable. Maintaining high profits stands as an essential strength for

the district, which enables it to preserve educational excellence. Gamage et al. (2022)

highlights that financial sustainability stands as the key requirement for performing and

supporting efficient education programs. As stated by Dusenbury et al. (2019), they link

resource availability to program effectiveness. Continuous funding through profitability

allows the district to sustain investments in resources as well as infrastructure while

supporting professional development opportunities. Near-term planning receives strong

backing from the district's financial stability, which enables it to efficiently handle new

educational requirements.

8. Collaborative Partnerships. Collaborative partnerships foster enhanced

delivery of education for human development and community engagement (Hollowell,

2019). With respect to professional development, Caena and Redecker (2019) show how

collaboration enhances it. The partnerships enable resource sharing and sharing of

knowledge. The collaboration was most beneficial because it allowed them to serve

various and diverse populations. Innovative program development develops well on the

strong partnerships.

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9. Online Sales. Adaptation to the needs of modern educational needs is seen in

the online sales capabilities. As for Williams (2018), it is indeed digital solutions that

enable the improvement of educational accessibility. According to Edwards-Groves et al.

(2019), technological integration contributes to educational development. It provides

people with broader reach and improved delivery service through its digital presence.

Online capabilities help in the more efficient distribution of resources. It develops

strength in communication with stakeholders.

10. Range of Products. Educational service delivery reflects the district's

fundamental strategy toward educational programs. According to Dusenbury et al.

(2019), educational diversity enables educators to address different learning requirements

students possess. The extensive course catalogue allows the district to properly

accommodate learners at all educational ability levels. The diverse set of available

programs works as a foundation for ensuring the district delivers premium educational

experiences to its students (Akter, 2020). Additionally, the more resources and wide

range of products, programs, and services that you can offer stakeholders, the better the

type of stakeholders who are persuaded to join and maintain your organization.

Table 1

Strengths

# Factors

1 Vision plan

2 Employee expertise

3 Unique opportunities

4 Financial performance

5 Market leadership

6 Customer loyalty

7 Highly profitable

8 Collaborative partnerships

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9 Online sales

10 Range of Products

Weaknesses. The following 10 factors are as follows (see Table 2).

1. Microeconomic conditions. The current microeconomic state of MSCS

generates substantial difficulties for school operations. The authors of Dobrini and Fabac

(2021) explain that local economic challenges lead to major obstacles for educational

institutions in keeping steady resource funding and sustained program viability. Aithal

and Maiya (2023) find economic conditions directly affect how well an institution can

keep stakeholders trusting them and acquire resources. Several microeconomic factors

make the district extra sensitive, which ultimately threatens its budgetary stability

alongside its ability to establish strategic plans. The district experiences difficulties in

achieving equal resource distribution when these specific conditions prevail.

2. Dependence on the United States Market. Organizations face restricted

flexibility and adaptability because they depend on the United States market. Market

dependency acts as a limiting factor for institutions to adopt different strategies and

sustain operational viability, according to Gamage et al. (2022). Tichnor-Wagner and

Manise (2019) explain that education settings need multiple forms of support to succeed

in the long term. National policies and market actions that change funding levels could

negatively impact the district because of its reliance on these factors. The district faces

limited resource stream diversity because its market risk is concentrated in one system.

3. High Debt Levels. The district faces serious operational limitations because of

its high debt obligations. Substantial debt makes it difficult for organizations to fund

improvements and innovations (Gamage et al., 2022). The authors Dobrini and Fabac

21

(2021) demonstrated that financial pressures restrain organizations from making strategic

changes as well as resource distribution decisions. The financial weight remains an

obstacle that prevents the district from acting on developing educational needs and new

educational opportunities. Higher expenses used for debt payments diminish the financial

resources available for education programs and educational resources.

4. Late E-Commerce Adoption. Organizations that implement e-commerce after

most others display reluctance for digital transformation opportunities. The author

Williams (2018) shows that organizations that show late adoption of technology face

difficulty in fulfilling the requirements of contemporary educational practices. Caena and

Redecker (2019) highlight that digital competencies are essential for contemporary

education systems. The district experiences reduced efficiency when it comes to

stakeholder communication and resource distribution because of delayed implementation.

The district faces reduced competitiveness because of the delay within the modern

educational framework.

5. Expansion Constraints. The district faces barriers to growth, which prevent

their operational expansion as needs shift. Edwards-Groves et al. (2019) explain that such

restrictions prevent organizations from successfully establishing site-based educational

development programs. The creation of welcoming learning spaces faces physical

obstacles (Hollowell, 2019). The limitations stop the district from properly handling

increasing enrollments. Program development suffers together with resource allocation

when operational space remains limited.

6. Staff Shortages. The lack of sufficient staff members weakens educational

quality to an unacceptable degree. The implementation of effective educational programs

22

strictly requires sufficient staffing, as described by Darling-Hammond et al. (2024).

Organizational trust and effectiveness suffer when institutions face problems with their

workforce, according to Niedlich et al. (2021). The talent deficit has negative effects on

both student enrollment numbers and available classes. The shortage of personnel hinders

the district from delivering dependable educational offerings of superior quality.

7. Communication challenges. The ability to collaborate efficiently and distribute

information suffers because of communication problems. Brown (2019) states that

quality communication is essential for sustaining practices that support cultural diversity.

The research conducted by Smith et al. (2022) demonstrates how failed communication

lines create negative effects on institutional operational outcomes. The gaps damage the

relationships that the administration has with their staff and stakeholders. The quality of

communication determines the level of misunderstandings while affecting staff member

engagement.

8. Aging Infrastructure. Educational delivery faces substantial hurdles because of

the infrastructure that has reached its expiration date. Shields (2020) points out that

facilities that are not modern can block educational innovation. According to Tichnor-

Wagner and Manise (2019), global competitiveness receives its influence from

infrastructure. In relation to the infrastructure, a solid structure will not stand without a

firm foundation, and this same analogy can be applied to the effects of an aging

infrastructure of an organization. Worn-out buildings produce adverse effects on how

technology can be integrated into educational processes. Such a weakness reduces both

student learning outcomes and staff operational effectiveness.

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9. Limited Supply Chain. The restrictions imposed on the operations of a supply

chain led to a decrease in the efficiency of distributing resources. Supply chain

management is regarded by Akter (2020) as a significant factor in ensuring operational

effectiveness and by Gamage et al. (2022) as one of the factors that influence program

sustainability. The protocol constraint creates challenges in the distribution of those

educational materials by the district. The limited supply chain network impedes the

execution of implemented programs. The observed limitations limit the number of

educational resources they can access.

10. Business Format. Business format weaknesses result in a negative effect on

organizational efficiency and responsiveness. According to Fitzsimmons et al. (2022) and

Dobrini and Fabac (2021), an organization’s structure influences operational success as

well as strategic implementation. An alternative delivery structure might offer better

service to modern educational needs. The structural weakness affects adaptability and the

willingness to change for the success of the organization. The district has limited capacity

in responding to changing requirements.

Table 2

Weaknesses

# Factors

1 Microeconomic conditions

2 Dependence on the United States

market

3 High debt levels

4 Late e-commerce adoption

5 Expansion constraints

6 Staff shortages

7 Communication

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8 Aging infrastructure

9 Limited supply chain

10 Business format

Opportunities. The following 10 factors are as follows (see Table 3).

1. Global Expansion. The education outreach capabilities of MSCS can increase

substantially through international growth. The implementation of global educational

programs by Tichnor-Wagner and Manise (2019) produces positive effects on cultural

competency and provides students with exposure to different learning environments.

Smith et al. (2022) state that district expansion programs help transform MSCS into a

high-performing, culturally familiar educational system. The chance enables district

school staff to exchange knowledge and create innovative educational programs that

better equip the district educational system. The expansion opportunity lets the district

build a more diverse funding source alongside the introduction of better educational

practices for the entire student population.

2. New Customer. The pursuit of new customer segments allows education

providers to expand their outreach and effective potential with wider populations.

According to Ladson-Billings (2019), the proper understanding and assistance of various

student needs lead to increased educational fairness and better institutional operational

efficiency. The system will obtain lasting opportunities benefiting every student because

of the expansion, according to Noguera et al. (2018). Through distinct specialized

programs, the district can fulfill the unique needs of various individual student groups.

Through its diverse offerings, the district improves market strength while serving its

purpose of educating all students inclusively.

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3. Product Line Extensions. Product line extensions allow for complete program

development to meet changing needs. According to Darling-Hammond et al. (2024),

diverse educational offerings are more appropriate for contrasting needs and styles of

learning. Brown (2019) provides an example of how customized programs allow the

schools to enhance their institutional effectiveness towards serving the community. The

expansion allows the district to continue to be able to respond to and stay in competition

with changing educational demands. By providing these extensions, the district extends

its capacity to prepare students for future demands.

4. Competitor Weaknesses. Strategic positioning can create a push towards

growth for market expansion by addressing competitor weaknesses. Understanding

market opportunities lowers the effectiveness of institutional prevalence. As Hollowell

(2019) demonstrates, school environments built on such opportunities are inclusive.

Where competitors have deficiencies, the district is able to bolster what it delivers

(Niedlich et al., 2021). The type of program development and allocation of resources is

targeted with strategic advantage.

5. Online Growth. The expansion of online operations affords institutions the

chance to update their teaching techniques. Williams (2018) explains that digital

platforms boost both educational accessibility and effectiveness. According to Dusenbury

et al. (2019), online tools create opportunities to meet a wide spectrum of learning

requirements and individual learning preferences. The educational district should develop

its digital outreach capabilities to fulfill changing educational needs. Through the

opportunity, the organization achieves better service delivery to all its stakeholders while

increasing its operational reach.

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6. Private Label. The introduction of private labels enables the organization to

create customized educational programs. Gamage et al. (2022) show how tailored

products foster institutional resilience. According to Edwards-Groves et al. (2019), these

educational programs produce constructive change in the learning environment. The

district has the capability to develop distinctive programs that target particular

community requirements. The specialized offerings make education more valuable for

specific educational needs while addressing specified needs of students.

7. Improving Economy. A better economic state enables enhanced resource

management, which leads to development progress. Dobrini and Fabac (2021) link

economic stability to organizational success. The authors Caena and Redecker (2019)

explain that educational resources foster teacher competency advancement. The district

should use enhanced conditions to build investments that support programs and

infrastructure development. The development of the economy helps establish lasting

educational improvement measures.

8. Strategic Acquisitions. Through strategic acquisitions, institutions obtain

possibilities to grow. Educational institutions become stronger through mutual

partnerships (Niedlich et al. 2021). According to Fitzsimmons et al. (2022), strategic

coherence develops through acquisitions. Strategic acquisitions enable the district to

develop its resources and expert base. The growth obtained through strategic acquisitions

strengthens the development of comprehensive education.

9. Logistics Enhancements. Through logistics enhancements, the operational

efficiency becomes improved. Organizational success relies heavily on efficient

operations, according to Akter (2020). Darling-Hammond et al. (2024) link resource

27

management to improved instructional quality. The district will achieve better resource

allocation through enhanced logistical processes. Faster logistics systems lead to better

execution of programs.

10. Advertising Effectiveness. The effectiveness of advertising produces new

chances to increase community involvement across different communities. Shields (2020)

highlights the importance of effective communication in educational leadership. Niedlich

et al. (2021) demonstrate that powerful educational relationships between stakeholders

generate major educational results. Focusing on advertising strategy leads to improved

communication about educational programs along with their data achievements. The

opportunity supports building stronger connections with the school community and

stakeholders.

Table 3

Opportunities

# Factors

1 Global expansion

2 New customer segments

3 Product line extensions

4 Competitor weaknesses

5 Online growth

6 Private label offerings

7 Improving economy

8 Strategic acquisitions

9 Logistics enhancements

10 Advertising effectiveness

Threats. The following 10 factors are as follows (see Table 4).

1. New Competitive Threats. New competitive entrants threaten an institution's

position in the marketplace. According to Aithal and Maiyan (2024), increased

28

competition can threaten an institution's ability to maintain trust with its constituencies

and obtain access to resources. As in Shields (2020), competitive factors can affect

transformational leadership programs. Competitive threats in such a manner can restrict

an institution's ability to recruit and maintain students and high-caliber workers.

Incursion through new entrants will require taking strategic actions for maintaining high

educational performance.

2. Economic Downturns. Educational operations are endangered by economic

crises to such an intensive degree that they expose school viability to serious peril.

Dobrini and Fabac (2021) address the fact that institutional financial instability creates

detrimental effects on the stability of long-term goals. Gamage et al. (2022) highlight

financial hardships' impact on program viability. Restrictive economic conditions create

challenges for the district to support funding distribution together with program

development. Educational advancement along with innovation might face restrictions

because of such circumstances.

3. Rising Costs. Rising costs cause a significant financial burden for educational

operations. Edwards-Groves et al. (2019) investigate financial constraints' impact on site-

based educational development. Financial pressures, in the view of Hollowell (2019),

serve as a barrier for maintaining inclusive school cultures. Greater operational costs

threaten the viability and availability of programs and resources. Financial burden can

inhibit educational programs and ancillary services.

4. Supply Chain. Supply chain disruptions threaten timely delivery of educational

materials. Darling-Hammond et al. (2024) confirm that access to resources directly

corresponds with instruction quality. Niedlich et al. (2021) find that such disruptions can

29

erode school trust. Interruptions make it challenging for the district to deliver reliable

educational service delivery. Program delivery and care for students can be threatened

through supply chain disruptions.

5. Changing Consumer Trends. The customary education approaches face the

shift of consumer trends. Larger challenges mentioned by Williams (2018) include

changing expectations in the way teachers deliver education. According to Caena and

Redecker (2019), shifting needs change the competencies of teachers needed. The

education programs and the education delivery system need to be frequently recreated to

meet these changing trends. If the district does not act accordingly, it will become

irrelevant and ineffective.

6. Regulations and Compliance Requirements. There are operational difficulties

due to compliance requirements and regulations. The regulatory changes, such as

Fitzsimmons et al. (2022), explain how strategic coherence is affected. As shown by

Brown (2019), compliance effects on culturally responsive practices are illustrated. It is

intensive in terms of the need for resources for implementing and supervising. This could

lead to changes in regulations that alter educational innovation and changeability.

7. Employee Turnover. There are operational difficulties due to compliance

requirements and regulations. The regulatory changes, such as Fitzsimmons et al. (2022),

explain how strategic coherence is affected. As shown by Brown (2019), compliance

effects on culturally responsive practices are illustrated. It is intensive in terms of the

need for resources for implementing and supervising. This could lead to changes in

regulations that alter educational innovation and changeability.

30

8. Technology Disruptions. Technological disruptions threaten present

educational delivery methodologies. Smith discusses technology in relation to

educational effectiveness. Noguera et al. (2018) present an analysis of technical glitches

and educational equity. Online studies and administration processes suffer through such

glitches. Malfunctioning technology can threaten educational access and quality.

9. Product Recalls. Product recalls affect educational resource availability and

reliability. Stable resource quality is emphasized by Ladson-Billings (2019). Institutional

sustainability being affected by resource issues is discussed in Gamage et al. (2022).

Product recalls create a discontinuity in educational provision and require additional

resources to remediate. Learning experiences of the students can become compromised in

the process.

10. Natural Disasters. Natural disasters pose significant threats to school

operations. Tichnor-Wagner and Manise (2019) refer to infrastructure weaknesses in

schools. Hollowell (2019) deals with the consequences of a disaster for school

communities. School operations can be disrupted, and school structures can be destroyed

through such occurrences. Natural disasters can require a lot of resources for restoration

and continuity.

Table 4

Threats

# Factors

1 New competitive threats

2 Economic downturns

3 Rising costs

4 Supply chain disruptions

5 Shifting consumer trends

6 Regulations and compliance

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7 Employee turnover

8 Technology disruptions

9 Product recalls

10 Natural disasters

Internal Factor Evaluation (IFE)

The Internal Factor Evaluation (IFE) matrix functions as an analytic method that

allows businesses to perform systematic comparisons of their organizational strengths

and weaknesses. Fitzsimmons et al. (2022) argue that organization planning tools provide

evaluation platforms that help organizations rate important elements to assess their

internal status. The matrix employs a rating between 1 and 4 (with 1 for a key weakness,

2 for a minor weakness, 3 for a minor strength, and 4 for a major strength). According to

reiterations by Akter (2020), such weighted ratings present quantitative information about

an organization's inner capabilities and weaknesses. Analysis of MSCS yields a

summation of 2.70, a value over 2.50, which, according to an observation by Dobrini and

Fabac (2021), constitutes a relatively strong inner position. That such a value is above

average is indicative of an effective use of its strengths and effective management of its

weaknesses by an organization.

Table 5

Internal Factor Evaluation Matrix

Strengths Weight Rating Weighted score

1 Vision plan 0.06 4 0.24

2 Employee expertise 0.07 3 0.21

3 Unique opportunities 0.06 3 0.18

4 Financial performance 0.06 4 0.24

5 Market leader 0.05 4 0.20

6 Customer loyalty 0.05 4 0.20

7 Highly profitable 0.05 4 0.20

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8 Collaborative partnerships 0.05 4 0.20

9 Online sales 0.05 3 0.15

10 Range of Products 0.05 4 0.20

Weaknesses Weight Rating Weighted score

1 Microeconomic conditions 0.06 1 0.06

2 Dependence on the United

States market 0.06 1 0.06

3 High debt levels 0.06 1 0.06

4 Late E-commerce Adoption 0.04 2 0.08

5 Expansion constraints 0.04 2 0.08

6 Staff shortages 0.04 1 0.04

7 Communication 0.04 2 0.08

8 Aging infrastructure 0.04 2 0.08

9 Limited supply chain 0.04 2 0.08

10 Business format 0.04 2 0.08

Totals 1.00 2.70

The following are my eight factors (i.e., 4 strengths, 4 weaknesses).

Four strengths. The following four strengths were revealed in my Internal Factor

Evaluation (please see Table 6): (a) Vision Plan, (b) Employee Expertise, (c) Financial

Performance, and (d) Customer Loyalty.

First Selected Strength. The vision plan is one of the strengths, with a weighted

value of 0.24, and its contribution towards exceeding 2.50 is high. According to Akter

(2020), a well-established vision enables an institution to channel its efforts and resources

towards long-term objectives. According to Shields (2020), effective educational

leadership and institutional success demand a well-established vision. With a flawless

rating of 4, such a strength received its high rating for its critical role in direction and

decision-making in an institution. A high weighting of 0.06 for the vision plan reflects its

critical role in maintaining an institution's direction and effectiveness. Specifically, such a

33

strength impacts the district in its effectiveness in consistently utilizing educational

strategies in all schools.

Second Selected Strength. Employee expertise achieved a 0.21 weight based on

its 0.07 weight alongside its rated score of 3. Educational progress relies on expert

teachers, according to Edwards-Groves et al. (2019), who lead positive modifications by

delivering effective site-based education development. Through their study, Caena and

Redecker (2019) show teacher competence as a key factor for facing present educational

hurdles. The high level of weighting reflects how essential strength is to achieve high-

quality education outcomes and district initiative success. Rating 3 shows existing good

results but indicates that additional improvements are possible. Learning quality and

student achievement results directly affect strength through their magnitude.

Third Chosen Strength. Financial performance achieved a weighted value of

0.24, signifying its high contribution towards organizational sustainability. According to

Dobrini and Fabac (2021), effective financial management forms a basis for

organizational stability and achievement of strategic objectives. Gamage et al. (2022)

also note how financial sustainability enables effective realization of educational

programs. Rating 4, being the best, signifies the district's strong financial position and

management. With a weightage of 0.06, such a strength acknowledges its contribution

towards supporting the development and distribution of programs and funds. Strong

financial performance forms a basis for maintaining and developing educational services.

Fourth Selected Strength. Customer Loyalty attained a weighted value of 0.20

with its high rating and full mark. Niedlich et al. (2021) cite trust and strong relations

with stakeholders as key assets for school improvement. It is supported by Brown (2019)

34

in its determination of community engagement as a booster for institutional effectiveness.

Strength's 0.05 weight reveals its role in steady enrollment and community backing. A

full mark of 4 reflects the district's efficiency in developing and maintaining relations

with stakeholders. Strength is particularly powerful in its impact on the district's ability to

develop and implement new programs and maintain community backing.

Four Weaknesses. The following four weaknesses have been identified through

my Internal Factor Evaluation (see Table 6): (a) Microeconomic Conditions, (b)

Dependence on United States Market, (c) High Level of Debt, and (d) Shortage of

Teachers.

First Selected Weakness. A primary weakness of microeconomic conditions is

that, although its value is larger than 2.50, it has a weighted value of 0.06 and impacts

district performance. Dobrini and Fabac (2021) state that the distribution stability of

educational institution resources is dependent on local economic concerns. Based on

Aithal and Maiya, the effectiveness of the organization and procurement of resources

depends on the economic conditions. The rating is due to its significant impact on

operational stability, and it is not rated more highly because of its weakness. The

economic conditions impact educational service delivery with a high weight of 0.06.

Basically, it reduces the distribution of resources to the district performed fairly.

Second Selected Weakness. Dependence on the U.S. market holds a weighted

rating of 0.06 with its high weight of 0.06 and minimum rating of 1. Gamage et al. (2022)

present an example of market dependency that can hinder institutional adaptability and

sustainability. Smith et al. (2022) refers to the imperative for schools to have diversified

supporting structures in schools. High weighting for such a weakness is an indicator of its

35

high impact in terms of organizational adaptability and development. The minimum

rating reflects its extreme constraints. It affects the district in its ability to use a range of

educational methodologies.

Third Selected Weakness. High debt levels received a weighted rating of 0.06,

indicative of their significant impact on operational activity. Edwards-Groves et al.

(2019) cite the impact of budget restrictions on site-based educational development.

Hollowell (2019) addresses the impact of budget restrictions on maintaining inclusive

school cultures. With a rating of 1, representing its severity, it is ranked at its lowest

rating level. With 0.06 weighting, its significant impact on operational effectiveness is

acknowledged. High debt levels particularly impact the district's ability to make

investments in upgrades.

Fourth Selected Weakness. Teacher shortages attained a weighted rating of 0.04

for their continued contribution towards educational delivery. As argued by Darling-

Hammond et al. (2024), effective educational programs' delivery necessitates proper

staffing. Williams (2018) reveals its impact to extend to both program delivery and

students' success. That its 0.04 weakness rating reflects its high contribution towards

educational quality and that a minimum rating of 1 reflects its extreme severity, and its

impact specifically extends to delivery and student service provisions.

Table 6

Four Strengths and Four Weaknesses Factors

36

# Strengths Factors

1 Vision plan

2 Employee expertise

3 Financial performance

4 Customer loyalty

Weakness Factors

1 Microeconomic conditions

2 Dependence on the United States

Market

3 High debt levels

4 Teacher shortages

External Factor Evaluation (EFE)

The External Factor Evaluation matrix serves as a strategic evaluation model to

measure organizational responses against external opportunities as well as external

threats. Fitzsimmons et al. (2022) explain that the external factor evaluation tool assigns

weighted scores between 1 and 4 using a system where factor ratings range from poor (1)

to superior (4). Akter (2020) explains that an ordered evaluation system enables

organizations to position themselves better within their operational setup. The research

analysis on MSCS achieved a total weighted score of 2.94, above the benchmark of 2.50,

to show effective external opportunity management and threat mitigation, according to

Dobrini and Fabac (2021). The organization shows effective external factor response

through its well-above-average score.

Table 7

External Factor Evaluation Matrix

Opportunities Weight Rating Weighted score

1. Global expansion 0.08 4 0.32

2. New customer segments 0.07 3 0.21

3. Product line extensions 0.06 4 0.24

4. Competitor weaknesses 0.05 3 0.15

5. Online growth 0.06 4 0.24

37

6. Private label offerings 0.05 3 0.15

7. Improving economy 0.05 3 0.15

8. Strategic acquisitions 0.05 4 0.20

9. Logistics enhancements 0.05 3 0.15

10. Advertising effectiveness 0.05 4 0.20

Threats Weight Rating Weighted score

1. New competitive threats 0.05 2 0.10

2. Economic downturns 0.07 3 0.21

3. Rising costs 0.07 2 0.14

4. Supply chain disruptions 0.06 3 0.18

5. Shifting consumer trends 0.04 2 0.08

6. Regulations and Compliance 0.03 2 0.06

7. Employee turnover 0.04 1 0.04

8. Technology disruptions 0.03 2 0.06

9. Product recalls 0.02 2 0.04

10. Natural disasters 0.02 1 0.02

Totals 1.00

2.94

The following are my eight factors (i.e., 4 opportunities and 4 threats).

Four Opportunities. The following four options for opportunities have been

developed based on my external factor analysis (see Table 8): (a) Global Expansion, (b)

Expansion of Product Line, (c) Expansion Online, and (d) Strategic Acquisitions

First Selected Opportunity. Global expansion is a critical opportunity with a top

weighted value of 0.32, contributing most towards exceeding 2.50. According to Tichnor-

Wagner and Manise (2019), international educational activity promotes cultural

competency and diversity in learning experiences. Smith et al. emphasize that such

expansion enables becoming a successful and culturally sensitive learning institution.

With a top rating of 4, it reflects the district's improvement in its reaction to worldwide

opportunity. With a high weightage of 0.08, it reflects the strategic value of penetrating

38

worldwide markets. With regard to its impact, such an opportunity particularly addresses

the district's potential for educational and source-based diversity.

Second Selected Opportunity. Product line extensions attained a weighted value

of 0.24 via their value in terms of strategy and successful execution. Darling-Hammond

et al. (2024) reiterate that a variety of educational programs best addresses mixed

educational requirements and learning approaches. Brown (2019) illustrates that

increased programs enhance effectiveness in an institution in terms of community

service. With a rating of 4, it signifies that the district possesses a high level of potential

in creating new educational programs. With a 0.06 weighting, it signifies high potential

for program diversification. With such an opportunity, the district can respond to new

educational requirements and become competitive.

Third Selected Opportunity. Online growth reached a weighted value of 0.24

with its high contribution towards educational delivery. Williams (2018) describes how

educational access and effectiveness have been boosted with digital platforms.

Dusenbury et al. (2019) place a high value on online tools towards strengthening a range

of educational requirements. With a rating of 4, it signifies a high level of district

response towards digital transformation. With a 0.06 weighting, it acknowledges its key

role played in educational development through online platforms. The opportunity

specifically addresses the district's modernization capacity and increased educational

access.

Fourth Selected Opportunity. Strategic acquisitions weighed 0.20, reflecting their

potential for organizational growth. Niedlich et al. (2021) emphasize how strategic

alliances strengthen educational institutions. Gamage et al. (2022) detail how such

39

growth enhances institutional sustainability. The maximum score of 4 reflects the

district's strong capability to pursue strategic acquisitions. The weight of 0.05 reflects the

balanced consideration of growth prospects. The opportunity provides the possibility of

rapid growth of educational competencies and market coverage.

Four Threats. The four threats that I determined from my External Factor

Evaluation are as follows (see Table 8): (a) Economic Downturns, (b) Rising Costs, (c)

Supply Chain Disruptions, and (d) Employee Turnover.

First Selected Threat. Economic downturns are a high-priority issue with a value

of 0.21, even when the overall EFE value is in excess of 2.50. According to Dobrini and

Fabac (2021), financial uncertainty has a significant impact on organizational stability

and long-term planning goals. Gamage et al. (2022) re-emphasizes financial difficulty's

impact on long-term planning and program viability. With a value of 3, it reflects that

performance in overcoming financial difficulty for the district is above average. With a

high value of 0.07, it reflects that financial factors have a significant impact on

operations. Specifically, it affects the district in its sustained distribution capabilities.

Second Selected Threat. Rising costs had a weighted score of 0.14 with its high

contribution to operational sustainability. Edwards-Groves et al. (2019) describe how

resource constraints affect site-based educational change. Hollowell (2019) cites fiscal

pressures among obstacles to maintaining inclusive school cultures. The score of 2

indicates the district's below-average response to cost management. The weight of 0.07

acknowledges the high impact on operational capacity. The threat directly affects

program sustainability and resource availability.

40

Third Chosen Threat. Supply chain disruptions earned a weighted value of 0.18

through their impact on the availability of resources. Darling-Hammond et al. (2024)

reiterate that instruction quality is impacted directly through the availability of resources.

Niedlich et al. (2021) observe that disruptions can erode trust in schools. Rating 3

indicates that the district performed above its average in managing supply chain

disruptions. 0.06 indicates its high impact on the continuity of operations. The threat

obstructs continuity in educational service delivery in the district.

Fourth Selected Threat. Employee turnover earned a weighted rating of 0.04, an

indicator of a high level of danger to organizational stability. Williams (2018)

emphasizes how staffing impacts program delivery and student performance. Caena and

Redecker (2019) prioritize teacher competencies for effective instruction and require

them to be retained. The rating of 1 reflects a poor district performance in dealing with

retention concerns. The 0.04 weighting reflects ongoing impact on performance in an

institution. It particularly affects continuity in programs and maintenance of institution-

specific knowledge.

Table 8

Four Opportunities and Four Threats Factors

# Opportunities Factors

1 Global expansion

2 Product line extensions

3 Online growth

4 Strategic acquisitions

Threat Factors

1 Economic downturns

2 Rising costs

3 Supply chain disruptions

4 Employee turnover

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Part 2: Define the Problem

Effective strategic planning requires a well-stated issue for one to ensure that

movements are centered, supported by evidence, and prioritized. Teacher shortages are

diagnosed in this section as a key vulnerability based totally on the SWOT analysis of

Mighty Lions Elementary. After faculty involvement, this problem was selected from the

weakness category and located to impact academic pleasantness substantially (IFE

weighted score: 0.04, score: 1). Teacher shortages contribute to inequalities in students

gaining knowledge of consequences, negatively affecting scholar fulfillment, instructor

retention, and academic consistency. Research suggests that this trouble is a countrywide

catastrophe that is made worse by using systemic injustices and disruptions along with

COVID-19 (Sutcher et al., 2019; Schmitt & DeCourcy, 2022). High-poverty schools are

disproportionately tormented by shortages, which align with studies that strain the closing

personnel and increase burnout (Peyton et al., 2021; McCluskey, 2023). This segment

assesses methodologies and theoretical frameworks, including structural concepts and

proof-based strategies to lower group worker attrition by combining local records with

peer-reviewed research. This analysis could guide successful strategic tasks.

Synthesis of Literature Related to the Problem

Using longitudinal data, Sutcher et al. (2019) analyzed the essential elements

contributing to teacher shortages in U.S. K–12 education. This qualitative study analyzes

evidence of teacher shortages, as well as national and regional trends in teacher supply

and demand. It uses universal data on teacher preparation programs collected by the U.S.

Department of Education. Between 2000 and 2017, researchers studied significant

modifications in teacher availability patterns in all 50 U.S. states. Teacher attrition

42

explained 90% of the entire demand, while staffing shortages reached 70% higher in

impoverished schools than in wealthier educational institutions. Retention measures

prove crucial for reducing shortages based on the data analysis, especially within schools

with lower funding resources. Payment policies and working conditions need immediate

changes to support high-need educational institutions.

Peyton et al. (2021), contrary to low-scarcity states (Minnesota) and high-scarcity

states (Texas) having a shortage of staff in special education, the use of a mixed strategy.

Five hundred special schooling teachers and 50 Title I college administrators participated

in the studies, which included administrator interviews, trainer surveys, and state

licensing information. According to the findings, attrition fees had been 40% greater in

regions of surplus shortage due to a deficiency of education applications and caseloads

beyond federal standards. Compared to 25% in Minnesota, 65% of Texas teachers

indicated handling caseloads beyond recommended levels, which was used to define

heavy workloads. The synthesis of quantitative and qualitative evidence attested to how

kingdom-level policy aggravates shortages and emphasized the promise of focused

investment in workload equity and mentoring as the solutions. This view emphasizes

contextualized action and spatial heterogeneity of staffing crises.

DeMatthews et al. (2022) studied principal turnover and teacher attrition among

30 Texas urban districts by examining 1,200 teachers combined with 150 principals. The

turnover frequency in schools led to a 25% increase in trainer attrition because staff

members pointed to unstable management and insufficient support as their main reasons

for leaving. Company records showed that 78% of teaching personnel in high-turnover

schools felt uncertain about leadership stability. The research findings highlight that

43

management stability is a retention tool to support teachers in poor and mobile student

areas.

McCluskey (2023) examined "turnover contagion" by studying 15 Northeastern

U.S. high-poverty colleges with 300 instructor workers. The qualitative multi-site case

study revealed that each time a teacher left the school, the retention reasons for their

peers weakened by 12%, while their trust in leadership lowered simultaneously. The

schools maintained high trust and kept their worker population 20% higher than other

institutions. According to participant accounts, systemic breakdowns that fostered

departments became frequent because they negatively impacted staff morale. According

to research findings, lead analysis and healthy employee connections work together as

protective measures to control turnover transmission.

Schmitt and DeCourcy (2022) performed a qualitative policy analysis to study

pandemic-related staffing disruptions in United States public facilities. They compare

pre- and up-pandemic emptiness reports from federal and kingdom training agencies

specializing in changes all through 2020–2022. Findings indicated that vacancies doubled

throughout this time, with STEM and unique schooling jobs declining to the maximum.

Hybrid model preparation amplified burnout, as 60% of instructors reported an

unsustainable workload to address in-person and online guidance. The developments had

been explained by the prevailing systemic vulnerabilities, underfunding, and useless

crisis preparedness. By characterizing shortages as additives of broader policy disasters,

authors emphasized the need for sturdy staffing structures to resist following

interruptions. This study is consistent with more widespread paintings on outside shocks,

demonstrating how crises exacerbate inequities in excessive-need districts.

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Research Methods

The studies reviewed employed varied methodologies to analyze staffing

shortages, emphasizing the issue's complexity. Sutcher et al. (2019) examined

longitudinal federal information (2000–2017) from the National Center for Education

Statistics (NCES) and national vacancy reviews and discovered that attrition, instead of

recruitment, was the reason for 90% of shortages, especially in high-poverty faculties.

DeMatthews et al. (2022) correlated predominant turnover with 25% more instructor

attrition based on facts from 30 Texas city districts. These quantitative techniques

provide generalizability but may additionally lose, which means in context (Creswell,

2018). Peyton et al. (2021) and McCluskey (2023) used mixed strategies to pass the space

between macro-degree developments and micro-degree realities. Peyton et al. (2021)

combined 500 surveys of unique schooling instructors with administrator interviews in

Texas and Minnesota to describe high-shortage states with forty more turnovers.

McCluskey (2023) used social network analysis and exit interviews and considered

measures in 15 high-poverty schools, assessing the "contagion" effect. Such mixed

techniques align with Denzin's (2017) advice for triangulation, as it complements

validity.

Schmitt and DeCourcy (2022) synthesized kingdom company solutions to

COVID-19 with pre- and post-pandemic vacancy reports, with an emphasis on qualitative

coverage evaluation. This method exposed systemic flaws, which include underfunding,

and showed how hybrid teaching tactics quadrupled burnout rates, specifically in STEM

and special schooling professions. Qualitative procedures are exceptional when analyzing

45

the reasons behind coverage failure because they provide depth that complements

quantitative traits (Creswell & Creswell, 2023).

Geographical and temporal elements have also been contemplated in

methodological selections. While cross-sectional research (Peyton et al., 2021) provided

glimpses of regional differences, longitudinal methods (Schmitt & DeCourcy, 2022;

Sutcher et al., 2019) tracked shortages across decades or pandemic years, shooting

changing pressures. Since no method can thoroughly look at the interaction of systemic,

interpersonal, and policy elements inflicting shortages, these methods spotlight the want

for methodological variety in schooling research. The studies' combined quantitative

breadth, qualitative depth, and mixed-methods triangulation offer a strong basis for

developing multi-degree interventions, starting from authorities' investment changes to

mentoring applications.

Pertinent Models, Frameworks, or Theories

Staff shortages in schooling are first-class explained through transdisciplinary

theoretical lenses that function as systemic breakdown and direct intervention. Systems

theory presents a basic version, defining colleges as interdependent structures where

subsystem imbalance (e.g., leadership) diffuses to broader organizational crumble.

DeMatthews et al. (2022) confirmed this by bridging fundamental turnover with

instructor attrition, with leadership instability dissolving with helpful resource allocation

as a key input for a team of workers retention. Similarly, McCluskey's (2023) "turnover

contagion" version truly applies structures of wondering, illustrating the way man or

woman turnover erodes not unusual agreement, yielding comment loops that sustain

attrition. Change Theory fills this gap by prescribing pathways to deconstruct

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unsustainable behaviors. Peyton et al. (2021) carried out Kotter's (2012) 8-step version as

a way to generate policy reforms, which include caseload caps and reducing burnout

while developing "short-term wins" to propel system change.

Sutcher et al. (2019) adhered to Lewin's (1947) unfreezing-change-refreezing

framework to draw new talent (unfreezing), after which mentorship settled retention

(refreezing). Social-ecological theory (Bronfenbrenner, 1979) situates external shocks

and the pandemic Schmitt and DeCourcy (2022) analyzed it as a macrosystemic crisis

amplifying pre-current inequities in high-poverty schools. This idea also explains how

microsystemic forces (e.g., instructor-pupil relationships) and mesosystemic coalitions

(e.g., employer partnerships) serve as a protective buffer against attrition (Van den Borre

et al., 2021). All those fashions are like-minded with multi-stage techniques, from

mentoring projects (Maready et al., 2021) to federal reforms for funding (Darling-

Hammond et al., 2023), so that interventions have goals, not signs and symptoms.

Summary of Findings

The synthesis of the literature exhibits Mighty Lions Elementary staff scarcity

problems. Schools with excessive poverty ranges had 70% more vacancies than colleges

with higher levels of wealth, showing that attrition, not hiring, drives shortages (Sutcher

et al., 2019). Long-term underfunding and minimum support hurt impoverished college

students. Second, attrition elements are multifaceted: unsustainable workloads, mainly in

special schooling where caseloads exceed federal mandates (Peyton et al., 2021);

administrative instability due to high crucial turnover (DeMatthews et al., 2022); and

insufficient instruction for high-wish schoolrooms erode retention. For example, schools

with primary turnover had 25% higher teacher attrition, as management instability

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disrupted consideration and collaboration. Third, effective solutions encompass

mentoring programs, which increased retention by 20% by constructing self-efficacy and

belonging among early-profession instructors (Maready et al., 2021), and coverage

solutions together with federal loan forgiveness, which raised applicant swimming pools

by 30% in excessive-scarcity states (Darling-Hammond et al., 2023). Finally, exogenous

shocks like the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated modern weaknesses, doubling

vacancies nationally and accelerating burnout through hybrid academic fashions (Schmitt

& DeCourcy, 2022). Due to dire shortages, STEM and special schooling required

disaster-responsive personnel.

Statement of the Problem

The problem of teacher shortages at Mighty Lions Elementary School was

identified as a significant weakness through an internal factor evaluation (IFE) score of

0.04, highlighting its detrimental impact on educational quality and operational stability.

Teacher attrition is the primary cause of staffing shortages nationwide, considering it

represents 90% of all shortages, particularly affecting high-poverty schools (Wesley,

2024). Unoccupied positions place excessive stress on remaining faculty members,

resulting in job burnout, poor teaching performance, and diminished academic outcomes

(Magtalas, 2024). Teacher attrition reaches greater levels in areas with a high frequency

of leadership changes because unstable administrative environments lead to decreased

morale and deficient institutional trust (Jabbar & Holme, 2025). Early-career teachers

suffer more dissatisfaction due to the absence of formal mentoring systems and

insufficient professional development opportunities, intensifying teacher retention

emergencies. A stable leadership foundation, strategic mentorship, and managed

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workload must be addressed to maintain effective educational settings, leading to

improved student future achievements.

Description of the Context of the Problem

The teacher shortage at Mighty Lions Elementary School occurs within the

broader educational and socioeconomic landscape of Memphis-Shelby County Schools

(MSCS), where teacher retention challenges have persisted due to high-poverty

demographics, resource limitations, and leadership instability. Mighty Lions Elementary

is a high-need urban public school that serves a high proportion of low-income, African-

Black students, where a lack of funding and professional development opportunities

worsens turnover rates. Both statewide and national data reveal that schools with large

concentrations of low-income students have up to 70 percent more vacant instructional

positions, thus eroding instructional quality (Bradley, 2022). Additional factors, such as

frequent administrative turnover, have hindered long-term planning efforts and

consequently have led to an absence of consistent mentoring programs and professional

growth opportunities for new teachers (Walid et al., 2021). Additionally, the post-

pandemic educational landscape has fueled burnout rates in teachers due to heavier

workloads, more behavioral issues in students, and increased treatment for differentiated

instruction (Pressley et al., 2022). These systemic issues call for innovative leadership

stability, resource allocation, and a teacher retention policy planned for long-term

sustainability in student achievement.

Scope and Significance of the Problem

The teacher shortage at Mighty Lions Elementary School is not only a problem

that touches nearly every aspect of the school itself—teacher retention, student learning

49

outcomes, and overall school performance—but its ramifications are far-reaching, and it

is a problem that needs immediate intervention. Persistent vacancies increase class sizes,

decrease students' attention, and extend the current workload of teachers, thereby

increasing their burnout and diminishing the quality of instruction (Kanwal et al., 2023).

Data from the literature suggest that teacher shortages affect high-poverty schools more,

which increases the achievement gap as those students already face numerous barriers to

success (McPherson et al., 2024). Also, high turnover rates disturb school stability and

challenge long-term educational planning, preventing schools from traversing through

sustainable improvement methods (Yurkofsky et al., 2020). Dealing with these shortages

through targeted policy reforms, leadership stabilizations, and randoms that invest in

teacher retention will guarantee equity in education and an environment conducive to

student learning.

Rationale for Investigating the Problem

An investigation into the teacher shortages at Mighty Lions Elementary School is

needed because teacher attrition directly affects student achievement, school stability, and

educational equity. Research demonstrates that high-poverty schools have

disproportionately high teacher turnover rates that adversely affect most students, leaving

them with limited, inconsistent, high-quality instruction (Marderosian, 2023). With the

loss of experienced educators comes a cycle of instability due to new or underqualified

teachers' inability to uphold instructional standards, thus a drop in student performance

and higher disciplinary issues (Bailey, 2023). Teacher shortages also exacerbate teacher

stress and burnout among remaining staff members, resulting in lower retention rates and

poor attendance at school-wide improvement efforts (Agyapong et al., 2022). To build a

50

sustainable teaching workforce, one should tackle such a challenge through research-

based strategies like mentorship programs, workload management, and leadership

stabilization. By finding out the root causes of teacher shortages and using a targeted

solution, schools can attain a more stable and effective learning environment for

educators and students.

Well-Defined Problem Statement

The problem of Mighty Lions Elementary School is the persistent teacher

shortages, which negatively impact teacher retention, student achievement, and overall

school stability. Research reveals that attrition rates of teachers in high-poverty schools

are higher than average, with vacancies more prevalent in high-poverty than in high-

resourced schools (Sutcher et al., 2019). The continual turnover of teachers results in

disruptions in instructional continuity, a heavier workload for remaining educators, and a

decrease in student academic performance because of the varying levels of quality of

teaching (Menzies, 2023). Furthermore, the absence of strong mentorship programs and

rotating leadership complicates the problem. New teachers often find it difficult to adapt

and leave within the first few years they are in the profession. Structuring mentoring,

finding a better way to manage workload, and developing leaders are essential retention-

focused strategies that must be implemented to reduce teacher attrition and improve

school effectiveness (Golubtchik, 2024). These teacher shortages need to be addressed if

an institution is to achieve a sustainable learning environment that nurtures success for

students for the long-term growth of the institution.

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Part 3: Research Possible Solutions

Both the internal and the external environmental analyses of Mighty Lions

Elementary School reveal the issues brought upon by the shortage of teachers. A strategic

approach to dealing with this issue consists of finding viable solutions based on the

conclusions of evaluations made of these cases. According to Wold et al. (2023), strategic

planning is significant in deciding on solutions that will intensify the organization’s

strengths and weaknesses as well as opportunities and potential threats. Thus, strategies

should be effective to attack the current challenges and seize the strengths of the

institution to help build long-term sustainability. Improving educational quality and

helping stabilize the education system are only possible if issues of teacher retention and

management of workload are addressed (Frahm & Cianca, 2021; Koerber et al., 2023;

Wahab et al., 2024; Miller, 2024). These solutions to address the teacher shortage issue in

Mighty Lions Elementary School will leverage the existing capabilities of the school and,

meanwhile, manage stability of leadership, high turnover rates, and resource limitations.

Possible Solutions:

A detailed analysis of the challenge of the school helps identify the effective

solutions to the teacher shortage. Since four strategic solutions have been chosen to

optimize the outcomes. The solutions for these problems include (a) running

comprehensive mentorship programs to keep teachers; (b) reducing the teachers'

workload and correcting the caseload inequity to prevent the exhaustion; (c) stabilizing

leadership to be able to give consistent guidance and support; and (d) providing financial

incentives and recruiting strategies that target and retain the qualified teachers.

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Possible Solution One: Mentorship Programs

Mentorship programs are crucial in providing an opportunity for new teachers to

thrive professionally, especially in high-need schools. Furthermore, often, the teachers,

especially those in the early years, can lead to a high turnover rate, mostly due to

isolation, burnout, and lack of adequate support. Wold et al. (2023) argued that hiring

novice teachers with experienced mentors would help improve teacher efficacy and job

satisfaction, which in turn commits them to the profession. The solution was selected

because they can provide structured support that addresses the challenges that new

teachers face and support a profession and develop a community of those beginning

careers in teaching. Maready et al. (2021) also state research that early-career teachers

building confidence in their teaching roles shows a decrease in the likelihood of

completing their departure from the profession. Furthermore, mentorship programs are

also congruent with research based upon evidence that remarked that supporting district

policies and programs for teachers helps to reduce teacher attrition in underserved

schools.

The first study by Wold et al. (2023) examines how mentorship pairings may

affect new teacher outcomes. The purpose of this study was to examine the efficacy of

teacher associations with expert mentors as a means of professional growth and job

satisfaction. A qualitative methodology was used by administering 217 surveys among

teachers in different schools. Strong mentoring relationships with the mentor were shown

to predict higher retention rates through providing professional and emotional guidance

and resulting in increased job satisfaction and decreased burnout. Mentorship was

associated with the retention of teachers; strong relationships between the mentor and

53

mentee translated into an increase in retention and were due to professional development

and emotional support. This emphasizes the importance of mentoring programs in

decreasing teacher attrition and increasing retention in schools with such high demand for

experienced educators.

The next study by Maready et al. (2021) focuses on mentoring practices that aim

to increase teacher retention. They set out to study how diverse mentoring models can

affect new teacher retention using the Beginning Teacher Longitudinal Study data. The

study adopted the restricted-use survey data files of BLTS. This study used a stratified

probability sample from approximately 11,960 teachers identifying themselves as new

teachers. Surveys and interviews were used to collect data. Results found that mentoring

programs that also included ongoing professional development and peer support made a

significant contribution to retaining nurses. Moreover, the study reported that good

mentoring improves the preparedness, support, and value new teachers feel, consequently

reducing attrition.

The third study by Frahm and Cianca (2021) delved into teacher retention in rural

schools, especially with regard to revealing leadership behaviors that foster mentorship

for teacher retention. The authors of this study intended to inquire as to how leadership

practices influence teacher satisfaction and retention. The qualitative study was

conducted in rural schools, and the focus groups entailed superintendents, principals, and

teachers. Interviews and surveys were collected as data. It was then discovered that

effective school leadership, which involved creating a culture of mentorship and

professional development, had a very positive impact on retaining teachers. Supporting

54

principals actively supporting mentorship programs reduced turnover by helping

teachers’ professional and emotional needs.

The fourth study is a systematic review by Koerber et al. (2023) that covered the

issues related to teacher retention in terms of the involvement of mentoring and support

systems. This review was carried out to synthesize 35 articles on the impact of different

retention strategies, such as mentorship strategies, on teacher motivation and job

satisfaction. The research indicated that mentorship stood out as one of, if not the, most

important identified factors in teacher retention, and when those mentors offered

individualized support related to the needs of their specific teachers. Besides, the schools,

having stronger mentorship systems, witnessed lowered cases of teacher burnout and

increased job satisfaction, reinforcing the significance of mentorship for setting up

supportive work environments.

The fifth study by Van den Borre et al. (2021) studied individual, school, and

country characteristics that influence early-career teacher retention. In their study, they

wanted to find out which of the factors — mentoring, for example, and school culture —

most greatly predicted the intent of teachers to remain in the profession. To get to this

work, a quantitative approach was used whereby quantitative data were collected through

surveys—11,613 early-career teachers in 3,998 schools from 31 countries were surveyed.

One of the strongest predictors of retention was supportive mentoring, and it was

combined with positive school culture. In fact, teachers who were regularly mentored

were more apt to report strong intentions to continue working as teachers because they

felt more comfortable based upon their teaching as well as in their professional

development.

55

Synthesis of Problems, Trends, Concepts, and Gaps: Wold et al. (2023) and

Maready et al. (2021) contend that new teachers face many challenges, i.e., inadequate

support, lack of professional growth opportunities, and the feeling of isolation. For these

particular challenges, schools with high turnover rates present a unique case in which

teachers frequently mention feeling ill-equipped. The studies reveal that mentorship

improves job satisfaction and teacher efficacy, which is precisely how it directly

addressed these issues. Furthermore, the gap in mentoring practices is noticeable, as not

all the schools have clear and systematic mentoring practices. For example, some schools

can provide quality mentorship, while the others may be offering minimal or ad hoc

mentoring support, leading to some schools having a high rate of teacher retention

(Frahm & Cianca, 2021). Because of this gap in the implementation of mentorship,

teachers receive an inconsistent experience, and that decreases the likelihood that they

will stay in teaching.

Both Van den Borre et al. (2021) and Koerber et al. (2023) discovered that

mentorship decreases burnout, enhances community for teachers, and increases teachers’

intentions to stay at their schools. These trends support the position that mentorship is a

key strategy for addressing the problematic attrition rates so prevalent in high proportions

of new or early-career teachers in some schools. Yet, some studies express stigma in the

quality and availability of mentorship programs; for instance, some researchers express

that mentorship is not always effective without the authentic participation of a leader or

aligning assessment with teachers' special requirements (Frahm & Cianca, 2021).

Furthermore, although mentorship programs have been deemed essential, there is no clear

consensus regarding what effective practices are for organizing such programs to yield

56

the greatest retention impact. The research indicates that mentorship has promise, though

inconsistent practices and insufficient resources hinder its effectiveness, primarily in

high-poverty, high-need schools like Mighty Lions Elementary, which attends to the

issues of leadership instability and limited resources.

Comparison of Different Studies Highlighting Similarities, Differences, and

Connections: Studies of mentorship programs consistently show the importance for

early-career teachers of being offered support systems in these days; yet various

approaches and findings are evident. The studies by Wold et al. (2023), Maready et al.

(2021), and Koerber et al. (2023) agree that mentorship programs have a significant

impact on teacher retention. Research presented in all studies is that mentor teachers who

professionally supported teachers facilitated the teachers' professional growth and helped

them overcome the difficulties of the classroom. Yet, the mentoring programs differ in

scope and structure. Wold et al. (2023) emphasizes the need to match novice teachers to

competent mentors, and Maready et al. (2021) emphasizes the worth of providing a

deliberate, predictable frame with peer help and proficient turn of events openings. Even

though the goal is the same in all of these studies (teacher retention), just the variations in

the design of the mentorship program indicate that it is using different approaches to

being a mentor, which may ultimately lead to the overall success or failure of the goal—

keeping teachers in the profession.

In addition, the studies correlate to each other, as these studies give deeper

insights into how mentorship can be applied to deal with teacher shortages. Van den

Borre et al. (2021) and Frahm and Cianca (2021) offer contexts for how mentorship

programs support the concept of teacher belonging and burnout, two of the major drivers

57

of teacher retention. While these studies differ in academic detail, they share the common

theme of building school culture through mentorship as a means of promoting the

emotional well-being of teachers, which in turn reinforces teachers’ commitment to the

profession. All studies agree that mentorship is a good thing, and the research also notes

gaps in implementation. According to Koerber et al. (2023) and Van den Borre et al.

(2021), it is possible to maintain variability in mentorship effectiveness based on

leadership quality, as well as alignment of mentoring programs with teachers’ actual

needs. This underlines the importance of not only supplying mentorship but also

safeguarding that it is of a high standard and also supported by senior school leadership.

Mighty Lions Elementary highlights the effect mentorship can have on reducing attrition,

but the studies suggest it has to be done consistently and with quality in high-poverty and

high-need environments with little support systems in place.

Summary of Findings and Results of Possible Solution: Wold et al. (2023)

point out that strong mentor pairings or duos of experienced mentors with novice teachers

help directly with job satisfaction of the mentor and retention rate of the pair. Having a

mentor structure set in place is beneficial to the professional and emotional transitions a

new teacher goes through when entering the classroom. According to Maready et al.

(2021), those chances are reduced by a lot when mentoring programs provide consistent

professional development and peer support. The focus of this research is to use a need for

structured, ongoing support to help reduce risk for burnout and to increase a sense of

belonging for a teacher as a prevention initiative for teacher burnout and to increase

retention of teachers. Taken together, the results of these studies suggest that mentorship

programs foster building confidence among teachers, increase their teaching practices,

58

and generate a supportive school culture needed to retain teachers of particular

significance to schools with staffing problems.

The significance of leadership and school culture in the mentorship programs is

based on the works of Frahm and Cianca (2021) and Koerber et al. (2023). Frahm and

Cianca (2021) claim that school leaders initiate the establishment of mentorship programs

in order to retain the teacher, and such programs have a high rate of facilitated teacher

retention in supportive schools where the school leaders take on an active role in the

mentorship process. Koerber et al. (2023) posit that mentorship programs that are based

on teachers’ career needs and provide tailored support have been more effective in

reducing teachers’ attrition. Additionally, Van den Borre et al. (2021) found that a solid

school climate founded on dutiful mentoring with an accommodating school culture

produces a school climate where teachers feel valued and cared for, among other things.

The synthesis of these findings not only indicates the significance of the presence of these

mentorship programs but also implies that the effectiveness of the program exists only to

a large degree to the extent that the program is embedded within the school context, as it

regards school leadership support and fit to teachers’ specific needs. Directly pertinent to

the situation at Mighty Lions Elementary, mentorship can play a vital role in bringing

down the high turnover rate for teachers by guaranteeing they are supported, valued, and

prepared for success in their roles.

Possible Solution Two: Reducing Teacher Workload and Addressing Caseload Equity

Teacher workload and caseload equity reduction are two important solutions to

increase teacher retention in special education settings. In high-need schools, teachers—

and especially those in especially high-need areas, such as specialized roles—are often

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working more than any human should ever have to work before the burnout and high

attrition rates make the problem worse. Miller (2024) contended that lowering caseloads

for special education teachers would decrease stress and improve job satisfaction, and

their rationale behind the fact that this would be an effective way to enhance retention.

For this reason, this solution was selected because it focuses on solving the root cause of

teacher burnout: workload. According to De Witte et al. (2023), in the case when teachers

have a balanced workload and proper resources, their intention to sustain the profession

increases. The research on teacher workload supports the idea that managing teacher

workload, and especially in high-demand areas like special education, would have

positive correlations with reducing teacher turnover and creating a sustainable teacher

workforce.

The first study selected by Miller (2024) explained how workload reduction

affects special education teacher retention, as they are overloaded with work due to

special education teachers bearing disproportionately high workloads. The purpose of this

study was to see if the reduction of caseloads and, if possible, an increase of support for

special education teachers would increase the retention rate. Surveys were used to collect

data in the form of questions of concern on the teachers’ workload, job satisfaction, and

intention to stay in the profession. The results have shown that lowering teacher workload

(particularly in the special education context) resulted in higher teacher retention and

greater satisfaction among teachers, especially when the teachers thought that they had

workable caseloads and when the teachers believed that they received support from their

administration.

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The next study by De Witte et al. (2023) on broader solutions to teacher shortages

dealt with evidence-based solutions for reducing workload in schools. The investigation

of how workload reduction aimed to benefit retention of teachers and the impacts that

policy interventions can make on teacher shortages. A targeted literature review was

used. Findings show that a workload reduction accompanied by more administrative

support would lead to retaining more teachers. To the benefit of teachers and students, the

lower caseload also generated less stress among the teachers, increased their feeling of

being able to manage their responsibilities, and increased job satisfaction and decreased

teachers leaving the profession.

The third study by Wahab et al. (2024) is a systematic review of literature to study

how teachers’ well-being is affected by increased workload. The objective of the

researchers was to identify the commonalities and factors that contributed to occupational

stress, burnout, and decreased job satisfaction among educators. The study synthesized

findings on challenges related to workload, for example, tasks that were too

administrative, too large a class size, and unrealistic expectations for performance, from

multiple peer-reviewed sources. These stressors were found to considerably deteriorate

teachers’ motivation and mental health, as well as lower productivity and increase

attrition rates. Without policy-level interventions, such as reducing teachers’ non-

teaching responsibilities and enhancing institutional support, teacher well-being will

continue to deteriorate, the authors noted.

The fourth study by Tompkins (2023) examined school policies on teacher

attrition, focusing on the part related to workload management. The focus of the study

was on the effectiveness of policies that lower teacher workload and improve working

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conditions. The study was qualitative and was collected through surveys from 2,196

teachers about their experiences with teacher preparation programs. The study results

revealed that teacher retention policies that tackle teacher workload issues through

policies of caps on class sizes and provision for planning time were beneficial for

improving teacher retention. A manageable workload and greater support from their

administration were reported by teachers to cause them to be more satisfied with their

jobs. On that basis, the study concluded that schools with strong workload reduction

policies were better at keeping their teachers, especially in places with high teacher need.

The fifth study by Creagh et al. (2025) was a systematic research synthesis of the

effects of workload intensification on teachers and school leaders. The purpose of this

study was to discover if workload intensification and time poverty affect teacher retention

and job satisfaction. The researchers synthesized findings from 40 papers from studies

meeting inclusion and exclusion criteria. The study indicated that workload

intensification, which normally ends in time poverty for teachers, is unwanted. Teachers

who reported the highest levels of burnout and exited the profession were also among the

highest group of teachers who indicated the highest levels of workload intensification.

This further confirmed that solving workload issues such as removing administrative

burden and granting enough planning time could easily fix teacher retention problems in

the school with high turnover rates.

Synthesis of Problems, Trends, Concepts, and Gaps: Miller (2024) and De

Witte et al. (2023) also mention that special education teachers are often loaded up with

higher caseloads than general education teachers, which leads to high burnout and exiting

the profession within a few years of teaching. According to the studies by Wahab et al.

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(2024), this is highly concerning in underfunded schools where there are supposed to be

supporting human resources for teachers to do other tasks that he or she is supposed to

do. It also suggests that excessive workload and insufficient administrative support are

reasons that make teachers leave the profession. Though it is difficult to address these

problems at Mighty Lions Elementary, it is still important to address the problem of

working to reduce caseloads and creating workload management policies, as they have

both been shown to increase teacher job satisfaction and retention.

Tompkins (2023) highlights that these policies intended to lessen teacher

workload heavily depend on the district itself, as some districts are successful in

developing policies that are sufficient to answer teachers’ needs, while others fail to do

the same. According to Creagh et al. (2025), further research shows that despite many

studies citing workload intensification as a fundamental determiner of teacher attrition,

schools do not have the necessary resources for the required changes. Nevertheless, the

gap mainly exists in the inconsistency of policy implementation and the mentality of

focusing on short-term workload reduction as a long-run strategy. These gaps show that

the strategy of reducing teacher workload is popular, but recognizing its potential can

make an improvement only if the policies go with it uniformly or else if the schools have

the resources to support such changes. Directly applicable to the situation at Mighty

Lions Elementary, teachers have heavy workloads, insufficient support, burnout, and a

high turnover rate.

Comparison of Different Studies Highlighting Similarities, Differences, and

Connections: The results of the studies aimed at decreasing teacher workload and

caseload equity are largely the same in that they indicate that too much workload has a

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deleterious effect on teacher retention. According to De Witte et al. (2023) and Miller

(2024), teaching (and particularly special education teaching) is about managing the

stress caused by the large workloads, which have a direct link to teacher burnout and

attrition. These studies have consistently emphasized that the increase in the

administrative tasks and large number of students decreases teacher job satisfaction and

increases their intention to leave the profession. Both studies also indicate that these

effects can be diminished by lowering caseloads and providing administrative support,

thus increasing retention. Moreover, Wahab et al. (2024) demonstrate that adequate

support and resources provided to teachers with specialized student populations decrease

the likelihood of burnout and increase retention. Together, these studies show that

reducing workload, notably in specialized/approved subject areas and high demand, is

critical for retention and the reduction of teacher shortages in a school like Mighty Lions

Elementary.

Despite this, there are quite a few differences in the studies and their settings. For

instance, Tompkins (2023) delves deeper into the part of policy interventions in solving

workload problems, where he conducts a qualitative study with the head teachers and the

teachers to gauge the impact of some certain workload reduction policies. On the other

hand, Miller (2024) as well as Wahab et al. (2024) place more emphasis on studying the

direct effect that workload and systems of support have on teacher retention in special

education. Tompkins focuses only on systemic policy changes, while Miller and Wahab

et al. (2024) focus on specific workload-related factors as well as teacher experiences.

Although these findings demonstrate wide variability, one unlikely conclusion stated by

all studies is that decreasing teacher workload is key to retention. The research shows that

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policy interventions must occur but that giving direct, tangible support to teachers, like

providing them with manageable workloads and smaller caseloads, is necessary for

maintaining them as stable members of the teaching workforce. These findings

correspond directly to the teacher shortages in Mighty Lions Elementary, where the

workload of the teachers is high, thus contributing to high turnover rates and general

instability in the school.

Summary of Findings and Results of Possible Solution: According to Miller

(2024), special education teachers who have seen caseloads reduced or extra

administrative support were much more likely to stick around in their teaching positions.

The findings showed that sound workloads were linked to less burnout and greater on-

the-job satisfaction. De Witte et al. (2023) also asserted these findings. That research

found that when the loads of those jobs were reduced, those teachers felt more supported

and less stressed and were more likely to stay in the profession. Many of the findings

hinge upon these findings because teachers at Mighty Lions Elementary have become so

burnt out because of the heavy workload and, subsequently, high turnover.

Wahab et al. (2024) also attested to the fact that lowering workload prevents

teachers from leaving and maintains good teacher well-being. Likewise, Tompkins

(2023) also pointed out that school policies help with cutting down teacher workload, as

schools with defined policies of limiting teacher workload succeeded in retaining their

teachers more effectively. However, the study found that workload policies creating

enough planning time and boosting smaller class sizes kept teachers in the profession at

higher rates. Creagh et al. (2025) indicated that workload intensification causes teacher

burnout, and reducing the burden of this workload is necessary to prevent teachers from

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leaving the profession. This suggests that a key approach to removing teacher shortages,

including at schools like Mighty Lions Elementary, and in stopping teachers from

leaving, is to reduce the workload, especially in areas such as special education of high

stress.

Possible Solution Three: Leadership Stability and Distributed Leadership

Stable leadership and distribution of leadership have been important factors for

bettering teacher retention in low-turnover schools. Stable and supportive leadership in

schools provides teachers with the things they need, valuing them and making them more

likely to stay. Tran (2023) points out that retention rates increase with trust, collaboration,

and professional growth leadership practices. This solution is chosen for all the reasons

that it will try to stabilize the school environment and make the collaboration culture in

such a school, which is facing such a high rate of leadership turnover as Mighty Lions

Elementary. According to See et al. (2024) and Celik et al. (2024) in their research,

distributed leadership, in which responsibility is distributed over the teacher, encourages

teacher empowerment and enhances job satisfaction. The implementation of this

approach offers a sustainable teacher retention strategy for schools that present

deficiencies in leadership stability and lack of shared leadership practices within roles

that are significantly related to leadership stability and shared leadership practices with

regard to teacher retention.

The first one, by Tran (2023), tried to identify leadership to raise the number of

educators in rural parts. This research intended to find out the impact of good leadership

practice on retaining teachers in the rural public school and how to recruit teachers

equally. Results show that principals in rural areas find reason to leave employment faster

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due to employer dissatisfaction. For sustainable retention of teachers in rural schools, it is

inevitable for them to have stable leadership, and the leadership is to be supportive and

consistent. In addition, teachers with stable leadership had a stronger identification with

their school and were less likely to leave. It also demonstrates how practices of leadership

can lead to teacher retention that is, however, equally related to the challenges that

Mighty Lions Elementary is facing.

The second study by See et al. (2024) was a systematic review that sought to

determine whether school leaders can contribute to making teaching more attractive. This

study sought to prove that the impact actions of leadership can amazingly influence

teacher recruitment and retention, in view of the fact that leadership is effective in

making a school culture that is positive. Data were obtained from 96 articles that were

used in the systematic review. The results indicate that school leaders who focused on

decision-making sharing, teachers' empowerment, and their professional development in

a school have both desirable teaching environments and higher rates of teacher retention.

The results also suggested that distributed leadership, which means that leadership

responsibilities are shared with teachers, increased team and collaborative environments

and increased teachers’ satisfaction. It suggests these findings show the worth of

leadership in creating a wonderful operating environment, something that resonates with

science for what works at Mighty Lions Elementary.

The third study, by Celik et al. (2024), is a bibliometric analysis that studied

teacher empowerment and the impact of teacher empowerment on high retention of

teachers. This review synthesized research about the benefits of empowering teachers

through leadership opportunities on their retention and how leadership structures can

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alleviate hiring shortages in high-need teachers. A total of 330 documents were analyzed

for the review. The findings show that supportive leadership leads to teacher

empowerment, and there is a correlation between teacher empowerment, job satisfaction,

and teacher retention. Almost all those who had the fortitude to remain and the skills to

make a difference were teachers who had been given responsibility for leadership and

were allowed to have a voice in decisions. This study will look at distributed leadership

as a tool that shall help in enhancing a sense of ownership and commitment in teachers in

schools that have high turnover, for instance, Mighty Lions Elementary.

The fourth study chosen was a systematic review by Rhinesmith et al. (2023) on

teacher recruitment and teacher retention in rural schools on what leadership and school

culture play in making teachers stay longer. The goal of this study was to determine when

and how leadership practices matter in sustaining teacher retention in rural, resource-

constrained schools. This review was from more than 50 studies, which were qualitative

and quantitative analyses of retention strategies in rural school settings. Results indicated

that strong leadership in particular (along with a supportive school culture) directly

affected teacher retention in rural schools. Stable school leadership, good teacher well-

being, collaboration, and professional growth were related to teachers being retained in

schools. Based on this study, additional findings that prove that teacher retention is

primarily dependent on stable leadership and strong school culture are brought about,

which were also manifest in the timings of the Mighty Lions Elementary School,

whereby there is no stable leader and a very communal school culture as well, which in

turn leads to teachers' depressive morale and high turnover rate.

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Synthesis of Problems, Trends, Concepts, and Gaps: According to See et al.

(2024), inconsistent leadership is the biggest trigger of teacher dissatisfaction and

attrition. The high turnover of leadership in schools brings on a nervous and unsteady

feeling that will influence teacher morale and job satisfaction. In such environments,

teachers feel unsupported and out of touch with the purposes and aims of the school. The

problem of teacher frustration and burnout, Tran (2023) indicates, is likely to occur

because of a leadership instability that creates a moment of no proper direction or a lack

of a consistent policy. However, because of Mighty Lions Elementary’s frequent

leadership changes and subsequent unstable school environment, these problems are

particularly relevant.

The study shows a positive relationship between stable and distributed leadership

and teacher retention. Celik et al.'s (2024) and Rhinesmith et al.'s (2023) findings

demonstrate that releasing teachers' leadership responsibilities collectively can enhance

devotion and control that eventually enhances maintenance. Schools with distributed

leadership structures enhance the collaborative work climate, which in turn makes

teachers feel important and encouraged. The collaborative leadership model not only

allows for the reduction of turnover while enabling teachers to be more engaged and to

feel more satisfied with their jobs. There is, however, a gap in the way such leadership

models are actualized. Although the research is supportive of distributed leadership, it

also points out that the success of these models depends on the extent of support and

backing from school administrators. If a strong leadership foundation is not present,

distributed leadership’s benefits will not fully be achieved, resulting in schools with weak

leadership structures that do nothing to solve teacher retention issues. The Mighty Lions

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Elementary suffers from a gap critical for making strides and establishing a richer school

culture with the leadership instability it suffers, whereby teachers have been constantly

poached.

Comparison of Different Studies Highlighting Similarities, Differences, and

Connections: These studies on leadership stability and distributed leadership have

several common issues, including that strong, stable leadership is key to increasing

teacher retention. The role of school leaders in reducing attrition via a school

environment supportive of teachers is emphasized by Tran (2023) and See et al. (2024).

Leadership stability is directly related to teacher satisfaction, as teachers in schools with

stable leadership are more likely to remain and are more satisfied with their jobs at these

schools than at schools with less stable leadership, reports they simultaneously agree.

Furthermore, Celik et al. (2024) and Rhinesmith et al. (2023) also discuss the idea of

distributed leadership, which allows teachers to share responsibilities, as one way of

involving and engaging teachers. These studies support the notion that a collaborative

leadership perspective not only preserves teachers' retention but also creates teachers'

ownership and thereby develops a good school culture. All of the studies point to the fact

that leadership, whether stable or distributed, matters quite a bit in addressing teacher

turnover, a central issue at Mighty Lions Elementary.

Nevertheless, there are some differences in their scope and focus. Tran (2023; see

et al., 2024) concentrates their studies on leadership stability and its subsequent effect on

leadership retention in rural and underserved schools, and Celik et al. (2024) and

Rhinesmith et al. (2023) focus on the use of distributed leadership models in education at

various levels. For example, Tran's research is focused on leadership practices to alleviate

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spatial injustices in rural schools and may not directly fit into an urban setting such as

Mighty Lions Elementary. However, Celik et al. (2024) extend the scope of teacher

empowerment by distributed leadership to both rural and urban schools. However,

despite these differences, all agree on the need for strong leadership and decision-making

involvement on the part of teachers in ways to improve teacher retention. The

relationship among these studies is that despite differences in context and approach, they

all lead to a common conclusion with regard to leadership as an essential element to

address staffing issues, a topic directly comparable to the case at Mighty Lions

Elementary.

Summary of Findings and Results of Possible Solution: Tran (2023)

discovered that teachers in rural schools with high leadership turnover were much more

likely to leave teaching. The stable leadership aspect of this mixed methodology study

found that stable leadership facilitated trust and collaboration to retain more employees.

See et al. (2024) similarly showed that school leaders who promoted a collaborative

model involving shared decision-making and teacher empowerment were empowered to

enhance teacher satisfaction and retention. Distributed leadership was demonstrated to

improve a school climate so that teachers experienced a feeling of respect and support,

which resulted in lower turnover in their qualitative study.

These are supported by Celik et al. (2024) to demonstrate that when school

teachers are leaders and involved in school decision-making, they do not leave the

school. Moreover, the research conclusions revealed that teacher empowerment within a

supportive leadership has a crucial role in reducing job dissatisfaction and burnout.

Likewise, these results were also validated in the context of rural schools by Rhinesmith

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et al. (2023). By hiring board members who implement stable leadership and create a

supportive school culture, things will be much easier to retain teachers. In all four studies

it is observed that while keeping the leadership stable and building distributed leadership

structures are good measures to stop teacher turnover, they are effective in high-need

schools like Mighty Lions Elementary, where teacher turnover has been a contributing

factor to teacher instability.

Possible Solution Four: Financial Incentives and Recruitment Strategies

Financial incentives and recruitment strategies demonstrate potential to correct

teacher shortages, but in special education, teacher shortages are more apt to be the result

of the lack of those inclined and able to become certified to teach in these academic

disciplines. One way to begin to alleviate the problem of attracting qualified teachers in

schools that are suffering from high turnover and teacher shortages is through financial

incentives. Pham et al. (2021) also state that merit pay, loan forgiveness, and recruitment

bonuses are effective tools in recruiting and retaining teachers, particularly in high-need

areas. Hence, this solution is chosen because it is a direct solution to the capacity teacher

shortage at Mighty Lions Elementary faced on account of financial constraints to hire

qualified teachers. As stated by Gilmour et al. (2023), special education teachers’

retention was improved by economic countermeasures such as salaries and bonuses. Also

highlighted by these studies is that while financial incentives are helpful, retention of

nurses requires supporting leadership and professional development opportunities to keep

nurses from abandoning their posts.

The first study by Pham et al. (2021) is a meta-analysis of economic interventions

using merit pay for improving teacher performance and retention. The purpose of the

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study is to study how merit-based compensation affects teacher retention in high-need

areas. This is a quantitative study that compared the available data in 37 primary studies

that examined the effects of merit pay on teacher motivation and job satisfaction. The

data were collected through a review of the existing literature and merging the results of

experiments and observational studies. Findings found that merit pay programs had

varying results, with some programs showing a pay increment increase in teacher

motivation and retention but also having the effect of insignificant merit on teacher

performance. Based on the study overall, merit pay can be used for retention as an

effective tool, but in the same order, other support structures also need to be present, like

professional development and positive school culture, for the maximum use of merit pay.

The next study by Gilmour et al. (2023) examined the usefulness of economic

interventions as policy levers. This study was designed to understand ways by which

economic incentives, like salary raises, loan forgiveness, and recruitment bonuses, keep

special education teachers at their current schools. The research determined that when the

special education teachers received financial incentives, namely loan forgiveness and

salary bonuses, they tended to stay in that position. The outcomes also indicated the

significance of targeted economic interventions to address the problems specially targeted

to special education teachers, which is cured by the case of the shortage of educationally

qualified teachers in specialized fields at Mighty Lions Elementary.

The third study by Bland et al. (2023) carried out a study on Texas pathways into

the teaching profession aimed at assessing how financial incentives can be used to attract

and retain teachers. The paper focused on the evaluation of the impact of this policy,

including financial incentives, on teacher shortages in the Texas schools. This was a

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mixed-methods study. It showed that giving financial incentives, particularly in

understaffed areas and areas that were specifically rural, pulled in teacher applicants and

kept them there. The overall study revealed that financial incentives were essential but

needed to be supplemented with working environment changes and professional support

in order to retain teachers for the long term.

The fourth study that Koop (2024) presents an article on is one in which a

literature review is done on how initiatives can integrate financial motivators in their

reformation procedures to curb increasing numbers of teacher attrition. The purpose of

this study was to establish the possibility of retaining the special education teachers with

a qualification through the use of financial incentives coupled with the leadership that

will support the teachers. A longitudinal, convergent mixed-methods design was used,

involving qualitative and quantitative data for conducting a study. Data was collected

from their teachers and school administrators with the use of surveys, focus groups, and

interviews. It was shown by the researcher that if financial incentives are provided

together with high support of leadership and professional development, the teachers are

more likely to stay. This is in line with what Gilmour et al. (2023) referred to and shows

that financial incentives are to be looked at as just a part of a broader strategy of having

access to leaders’ presence and their expertise.

Synthesis of Problems, Trends, Concepts, and Gaps: Gilmour et al. (2023) and

Pham et al. (2021) both have studied the common problem of retaining teachers,

especially in specific areas like special education. Here teachers suffer more workloads

and more demanding child needs, plus high emotional attrition, which leads them to burn

out and quit. Some financial incentives, such as merit pay or loan forgiveness, have an

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outlet through some of the pressures. The studies also demonstrate that inducing teachers

with incentives for recruitment does not ensure their retention in the profession in the

longer term; only tackling the other issues, such as job satisfaction and professional

support, could ensure that. This is a recurring theme when using financial incentives as a

recruitment tool, as we see it is not the only answer to the retention issue, as in a school

such as Mighty Lions Elementary, which has very little financial support and a lack of

teachers.

Pham et al. (2021) and Koop (2024) both recognize merit pay and other financial

rewards have been shown to drive teachers, but such effects on retention are contingent

on the way these incentives are combined with other support systems in leadership and

professional development. These studies highlight the need for strong leadership stability

and supportive work conditions even to achieve short-term results with financial

incentives. The literature reviews show that there is an inconsistent gap in the way these

incentives have been implemented across districts and schools. Bland et al., 2023,

mention that recruitment bonuses can bring teachers to rural or underserved locations but

state that these same incentives might not be enough to keep them there unless they are

complemented by school culture and working condition improvements. Regarding

teacher shortage, this gap justifies the need for a comprehensive strategy that involves not

only financial incentives but also means for stabilizing school leadership and improving

teacher support. Teacher shortages in Mighty Lions Elementary present a special case,

since leadership turnover and detrimental working conditions are part of the problems.

Comparison of Different Studies Highlighting Similarities, Differences, and

Connections: There are common themes in the findings of the studies on financial

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incentives and recruitment strategies concerning the role of economic interventions as

tools to attract and retain teachers, especially in the specialties, such as special education.

Financial incentives, including merit pay and loan forgiveness, effectively attract teachers

into the profession when they are so desperately needed in areas across the country

experiencing a teacher shortage, as Pham et al. (2021) and Gilmour et al. (2023) explain.

These studies demonstrate that financial incentives entice teachers to join a district yet

also show that the financial incentives do not guarantee keeping teachers over time absent

a coherent policy of supporting leaders and professional development. Furthermore,

recruitment bonuses and salary increases have been effective tools, according to Koop

(2024) and Bland et al. (2023), to recruit teachers to teach in the rural and underserved

areas. They both point out the need to provide not only financial incentives but also to

support teachers in the work environment, especially by strong leadership and supportive

school cultures. A general conclusion from all four studies is that financial incentives can

be used to partially solve the teacher shortage problem, but only as part of a broader

effort to reduce teacher attrition.

But the studies differ in their focus on the kind of financial incentives and in the

broader implications for retention. Instead, Pham et al. (2021) are interested in the

effectiveness of merit pay specifically in motivating teachers and enhancing performance.

On the other hand, Gilmour et al. (2023) do not pay as much attention to special

economic interventions for special education teachers, including loan forgiveness and

extra pay, due to the specific demands of this profession. While Bland et al. (2023)

examine strategies for recruitment in Texas, they focus on how financial incentives can

bolster the pipeline into teaching but add that these incentives need to be accompanied by

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policy reform and different working conditions when recruiting new teachers. Koop

(2024) discusses school leadership as supporting financial incentives, with the support

from school leaders being a deciding factor for the success of financial incentives. All the

studies agree that financial incentives have a positive effect on short-term retention;

however, they disagree on the best long-term strategies, naming leadership, school

culture, and professional development as essential. In the case of Mighty Lions

Elementary, such an incentive could be a key part of the solution, but the long-term

success of such a solution is only possible if the implementation is coordinated with

strong leadership and a supportive working environment.

Summary of Findings and Results of Possible Solution: Pham et al. (2021),

based on a meta-analysis, found that merit pay might not provide a steady stream of

positive results about retention but can motivate teachers, increase job satisfaction, and

facilitate reward alignment. Financial incentives and recruitment strategies to recruit

teachers in high-need areas like special education have been proven to be effective in

research on financial incentives and supply-side strategies in recruiting teachers. The

study showed merit pay leads to improvements in teachers’ performance and satisfaction

in the short run, but the teachers do not stay if it is not supported with other methods of

assistance. For schools like Mighty Lions Elementary, it is crucial that any steps made are

long-term solutions to solving the ongoing teacher shortage. Merit pay is an effective

tool, but not a cure-all for a complex problem in retaining teachers.

In 2023, Gilmour et al. examined targeted economic interventions applied towards

special education teachers and concluded that, among other things, loan forgiveness and

recruitment bonuses increase retention in those districts most suffering from teacher

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shortages. The research validated that providing such incentives could begin to alleviate

some of the special needs of special education teachers, for example, high caseload and

burnout in emotional terms. Likewise, Bland et al. (2023) proposed that recruitment

bonuses and paycheck increases in Texas have also been good at attracting teachers to

challenged schools, particularly rural areas. The authors added that though financial

incentives are a key aspect in recruitment, policy changes and better working conditions

for teachers are needed to keep them in the profession eventually. Koop (2024) studied

the impact of school leadership in strengthening the effectiveness of financial incentives

by examining the way that as administrators leverage professional development

opportunities and maintain administrative stability, teacher retention rates increase.

Part 4: Select a Solution

Based on the thorough analysis presented in Parts 1–3, this section of the Strategic

Research Project (SRP) defines and weighs the most feasible solution to the ongoing

teacher shortage issue at Mighty Lions Elementary School. The root problem—attrition

caused shortages of teachers—was explored in depth with a focus on the internal and

external evaluations of MSCS. In this part, the four solutions presented in Part 3 will be

critically assessed, including the advantages and disadvantages of each within the

organizational background; barriers may be identified; and finally, a rationale for the

final selected solution is proposed.

Overview of the Four Solutions

A critical organizational weakness related to the shortage of qualified and retained

teachers at Mighty Lions Elementary has emergent effects on student achievement and

school stability. This issue was driven by systemic factors, and systemic factors include

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leadership instability, heavy workloads, lack of mentoring and inadequate incentives,

among other factors. In order to address the challenge to academic leadership in the

multifaceted context, four potential solutions are examined as based on evidence: (a)

comprehensive mentorship, (b) reducing teacher workload and addressing caseload

equity, (c) promoting leadership stability and distributed leadership, and (d) introducing

targeted financial incentives and recruitment strategies. According to Wold et al. (2023),

high-need school strategic improvement requires the selection of well-supported,

contextually relevant interventions. Based on literature, each solution is also evaluated by

the feasibility, match to the organizational needs, and ability to sustain long-term

business pressures.

Mentorship programs are the first proposed solution to lower attrition of first-year

teachers by pairing them with experienced mentors. Structured mentorship significantly

increases new teachers’ confidence and commitment, contributing to retention, and was

found by Maready et al. (2021). Also, Van den Borre et al. (2021) found that when

talking about the strongest predictors of teacher retention across different countries, the

most consistent factors were ongoing mentoring and supportive school culture.

The second solution is to reduce teacher workload and enforce caseload equity,

especially caseload equity in special education. As a result, Wahab et al. (2024) showed

that burnout and exits from the profession are directly caused by an excessive workload.

Similarly, De Witte et al. (2023) go on to argue that manageable caseloads, coupled with

administrative support, are ways to ensure teacher morale and lessen turnover in the high-

need schools. Stability of leadership and distributed leadership are proposed as

transformative strategies for creating teacher satisfaction and cohesion in schools.

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According to Tran (2023), one of the factors that contribute to long-term retention is

stable school leadership, which enhances trust and collaboration. Furthermore, See et al.

(2024) highlighted that positive work environments that lead to reduced attrition are

fostered by models of distributed leadership that enable teachers to make decisions.

The fourth potential solution is bringing in financial incentives and targeted

recruitment strategies. Gilmour et al. (2023) reports that bonuses, loan forgiveness, and

salary enhancements are likely to improve teacher retention, with special impacts on

high-poverty and special education teachers. This view was further supported by Bland et

al. (2023), who agreed that financial incentives prove successful if integrated into a

broader support systems network like leadership stability and mentorship. These four

options, when taken collectively, represent several options to address the teacher shortage

crisis at Mighty Lions Elementary and vary in terms of strengths, considerations, and

challenges. The next parts of this paper will discuss how the previously mentioned

solutions work and will select the most feasible route to sustainable development in the

future.

Advantages (Pros) and Disadvantages (Cons) of Solutions

A critical step in the decision-making process of a particular strategy is to

systematically evaluate potential solutions in terms of advantages and disadvantages.

According to Wood (2009), weighing out the pros and cons helps it be transparent and

assists multi-criteria analysis by describing the tradeoffs involved in intricate choices.

This makes comparison and decision-making much easier since managers could first

prioritize according to organizational needs and constraints. Brahm and Kleiner (1996)

state further that structured assessment of pros and cons is an important process in group

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decision-making since it promotes a common understanding amongst the group and

reduces the conflict. Additionally, by identifying benefits and limitations of each

proposed solution, stakeholders would be provided with informed, rational, and

sustainable choices, a practice that is imperative given the types of resource allocation

and staff well-being issues in educational settings that have important impacts on

outcomes. In application, this step is crucial for Mighty Lions Elementary's chosen

solution because it not only serves the needs of the teacher shortages but also supports the

long-term strategic goals of the school.

Solution One: Comprehensive Mentorship Programs

Mentorship is perceived as a traditional approach to support new teachers and

thereby an effort to increase new teachers’ retention in high-need schools, and such

structured mentorship programs are viewed as a derivable foundation to this approach. To

balance this, research consistently shows that early-career teachers are greatly benefited

by being assigned to experienced mentors to provide them both emotional and

professional support throughout the initial stab in their profession (Wold et al., 2023;

Maready et al., 2021). These programs improve pedagogical skills, but additionally, they

promote a feeling of being a member of a community and efficacy, which is important in

high-stress environments. However, Van den Borre et al. (2021) argue that while

mentoring is associated with lower intentions to leave the profession, the relationship is

not significant unless embedded in a supportive school culture, which in turn predicts

stronger intentions to remain in the profession. Koerber et al. (2023) point out that while

mentorship is cited as a strong retention strategy, mentorship is uniquely individualized

and can reduce burnout. The mentorship programs might be a strategic opportunity to

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keep staffing stabilized and to enable a more rooted and allied teaching community at

Mighty Lions Elementary, where institutional support is inconsistent and teacher turnover

is high.

Pros. The implementation of mentorship programs is one of the major advantages

because most studies have shown that it helps new teachers to report high job satisfaction

and professional efficacy. Wold et al. (2023) remarked that strong mentor-mentee

relationships are connected to a direct decrease in teacher burnout and an increase in

teacher retention. The nature of these relationships offers instructional support as well as

the emotional encouragement that supports them in their novice efforts and retains their

enthusiasm to remain in the profession. Moreover, Maready et al. (2021) discovered that

a mentorship that incorporates ongoing professional development and peer engagement

was associated with teachers knowing that they feel more confident and prepared to

address students’ needs. This helps schools with lasting organizational stability and

student achievement in the long term, especially at schools with high needs such as

Mighty Lions Elementary. Moreover, the consistent application of mentorship across

early career stages also helps build a collaborative school culture in which the shared

values and continued teacher engagement are developed as priorities.

Cons. However, mentorship programs come with certain potential drawbacks as

well. A disadvantage is they vary in the quality of the program, which might reduce their

effectiveness. Frahm and Cianca (2021) explain how, without strong leadership support

or strategic oversight, mentorship can be implemented in an inequitable manner among

new teachers. Mentoring is sometimes done ad hoc or informally in some schools, which

in turn undermines its potential benefits and also affects the feeling of being neglected or

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dissatisfied among novice teachers. Moreover, Koerber et al. (2023) caution that unless

mentorship is closely referenced to teachers’ needs and backed up by the administrative

infrastructure, its impact on retention tends to be limited. Furthermore, there are no clear

guidelines or metrics for success, by which the roles and expectations can be confusing,

leading to missed opportunities to benefit from mentorship for the purpose of systemic

improvement. Leadership instability and the lack of resources might stand in the way of

developing a successful and high-quality mentorship program for Mighty Lions

Elementary.

Solution Two: Reducing Teacher Workload and Addressing Caseload Equity

The other viable solution for the problem of teacher attrition at Mighty Lions

Elementary is that the teachers' workload be reduced, particularly for specialized areas

like special education, which has a heavier type of caseload. The literature on this

approach has covered how workload reductions will lead to better teacher retention by

decreasing stress and consequently avoiding burnout. However, it is important to address

these problems, as they are crucial causes of teacher burnout, which ultimately leads to

loss in the motivation of teachers and their capability to deliver quality instruction

(Creagh et al., 2025). For instance, according to Miller (2024), lowering the excessive

caseload in special education classrooms has a direct effect on job satisfaction and

lessens the possibility of staff members leaving their jobs. The aim of this solution is to

enhance the work-life balance for educators and hence minimize the potential for attrition

by decentralizing the amount of work done by teachers, especially in the challenging

subjects.

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Pros. One of the key advantages of reducing teacher workload is, naturally, found

especially in the stressful situations, as in special education. According to Miller (2024),

when the workload is manageable for teachers, then they feel they can be able to cope

with their responsibility, and they are also supported, and all this encourages them to stay

in the profession. Additionally, De Witte et al. (2023) also argue that the teachers who

indicate that they are less stressed because of workload reduction tend to remain in the

profession for longer durations. The profession, in turn, becomes more sustainable where

teachers spend less time on administrative tasks and where class sizes or caseloads are

decreased, thus increasing teacher well-being and retention. Furthermore, this solution

can actually strengthen school culture by allowing teachers to concentrate on what really

counts, that is, teaching and student engagement, while not fretting over many mundane

tasks. Especially in a school like Mighty Lions, teacher turnover has been a problem, so

this proactive approach is really important in these cases.

Cons. Although numerous benefits might be derived from reducing teacher

workload and achieving caseload equity, it does have drawbacks as well. Wahab et al.

(2024) state that the issue of financial and staffing constraints in most schools is one of

the hindering factors towards the implementation of this solution. For instance, to cut

down on caseloads in special education can in many cases require additional staff, which

is a challenge for districts with tight funding. Additionally, while reducing workloads

may improve retention, Creagh et al. (2025) assert that it may also lead to an increased

pressure on those remaining staff and consequent burnout of those who have to carry on

the work without respite. Additionally, policymakers or administrators may find this

solution to be a resistance, as they rely on efficiency and economic resources more than

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the welfare of educators. Thus, in order to achieve a balance between workload decrease

and operational efficiency, as Tompkins (2023) proposes, there is a need for a careful

match of resources, policies, and leadership in order for it to be successful. Hence, the

implementation of workload reduction has to be watched out for not to have unintended

consequences. Reduction in teacher workload could have potential positive benefits, but

it needs to be carefully thought through on how resources can be allocated and how

administrative support will be sustained.

Possible Solution Three: Leadership Stability and Distributed Leadership

Stability of leadership and distributed leadership models have become new

approaches to dealing with teacher attrition and cultivating a positive school culture.

Many studies in recent years have shown the contribution of good, stable, and supportive

leadership to teacher satisfaction and staying with the profession (See et al., 2024; Tran,

2023). Stable leadership allows the school to establish consistency in goals and values of

the school, while distribution of leadership grants agency and shared responsibility to

teachers. By encouraging strategies found in transformational leadership models,

educators in collaborative cultures make all teachers feel valued, supported, and

professionally fulfilled. School climate and leadership were found by Rhinesmith et al.

(2023) to be influential in keeping rural teachers, and See et al. (2024) demonstrated that

empowered school leaders can result in increased job satisfaction and better well-being

and better retention. The findings of this study together indicate that leadership

interventions can be very significant for lifting both staff morale and turnover rates.

Pros. The promotion of leadership stability is one of the major advantages that

enhance trust and collaboration among school staff, which in turn has been related to

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improved teacher retention. Tran (2023) asserts that the presence of sustained and

consistent leadership is indispensable when dealing with systemic inequities; rural

schools, especially, are more difficult to recruit and retain student and staff populations.

Likewise, See et al. (2024) determined that good leadership is related to positive school

climate and more favorable working conditions that are among the most important

predictors of job satisfaction. Among distributed leadership, for instance, teachers are

provided with the opportunities to participate in decision-making, which leads to a

feeling of ownership and professional empowerment (See et al., 2024). It encourages

stronger collegial relations and less burnout. In addition to this, Celik et al. (2024) also

support the view that the shared leadership models have proven to empower teachers and

therefore increase the level of motivation, job satisfaction, and sense of efficacy.

Cons. However, promoting a stable leadership and distributed leadership can give

rise to various challenges. The first major disadvantage is the lack of clarity and

consistency for defining what is “effective” and “distributed” leadership, which makes

implementation and evaluation more difficult (See et al., 2024). However, because many

studies rely on subjective perceptions of such outcomes as opposed to objective ones, it is

very hard to determine the causality between leadership practices and teacher retention.

Furthermore, the change to distributed leadership can be perceived as resistance,

especially in those schools with hierarchical cultures that are characterized by centralized

decision-making plans (Tran, 2023). Similarly, the sustainability and support mechanisms

associated with leadership development initiatives are a cause for concern, as short-term,

not long-lasting, improvements are realized (Rhinesmith et al., 2023). Celik et al. (2024)

conclude with a warning that without adequate training and ongoing support, teachers

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who are empowered can end up being a gesture rather than a structural shift being made

and will become disillusioned and leave if this empowerment does not have any support.

Solution Four: Financial Incentives and Recruitment Strategies

Integrating financial incentives with targeted recruitment strategies is a feasible

solution to maintain the number of qualified teachers to mitigate the ongoing problem of

teacher shortages and specifically those that are much needed in crises such as special

education. According to Pham et al. (2021), economic interventions such as merit pay,

loan forgiveness, and signing bonuses present as feasible methods to recruit and retain

teachers. But strategies for overcoming this challenge are especially relevant in places

where there are so few certified teachers that they shape the quality of the instructional

offer. According to Gilmour et al. (2023), the targeted financial incentive, reinforced by

the whole support structure, improves retention. Similarly, Koop (2024) argued that

financial incentives may have short effects. However, incentives do not have a lasting

effect if the leaders are motivating the people and providing professional development.

Pros. Adopting financial incentives as part of the teacher compensation scheme is

very beneficial since it is known to encourage teachers to work in hard-to-staff schools

and undertake special education roles. According to Pham et al. (2021), merit pay as a

component of the financial rewards significantly correlates positively with job

satisfaction and short-term teacher retention in adverse school settings. This is crucial to

schools like Mighty Lions Elementary that already have persistent staffing gaps and

recruit teachers to understaffed roles in the first place. Gilmour et al. (2023) also found

that loan repayment and recruitment bonuses directly affected the retention of special

education teachers. Their additional impact is lessening the financial burden often made

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around needing credentials needed for specializations, which is another hurdle for so

many teachers to tackle.

Additionally, the emotional strain of working in high-need areas can be greatly

offset by financial interventions to help recognize and support teachers’ work. Koop

(2024) found that teachers who felt that their school valued their financial investment in

the school were more likely to indicate greater morale and commitment to the school for

a longer period of time. Thus, the policies of compensation seem not only to affect

recruitment but also to motivate and increase the satisfaction of doing a job in the event

that they refer to enjoying a program of broader administrative and professional support.

Taken together, these findings make a strong case for financial incentives, as there should

be a place for improving educational outcomes and redressing teacher attrition.

Cons. Although financial incentives could provide considerable benefits, there are

also limitations and risks of using them. The main disadvantage is that financial

interventions are not long-lasting when applied alone. According to Pham et al. (2021),

merit pay programs can create short‐term increases in retention, but such gains can be

temporary if mentoring and professional development are not also available. Financial

rewards may, at best, be seen as a short-term band-aid rather than a sustainable solution,

unless you fix the fundamentals like lack of leadership stability and poor working

conditions at the governance as well as business unit levels. This highlights the issue at

Mighty Lions Elementary, in which the instigation of financial incentive may not

override the systemic problems leading to the loss of teachers.

Furthermore, a large barrier to equitable impact is that such financial incentive

programs are implemented differently by different districts. Koop (2024) described how

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the sites varied widely in funding, the design of policy, and the oversight given to

teachers and argued that these differences may have led to varying experiences or

benefits with the incentives. Additionally, bonuses and higher salaries for the recruitment

of teachers to rural and underserved areas were only retained if schools could promise

strong leadership and supportive environments (Bland et al., 2023). The research

indicates that financial incentives will fail or even become dysfunctional unless there is

strategic alignment with broader school culture and support initiatives. Because these

strategies show promise, they should be exercised within a comprehensive system that

addresses all facets of teacher attrition.

Discussion of Barriers

Any design of a strategic initiative is not enough for its successful implementation

without simultaneous anticipation and overcoming of possible barriers by the

organization. Commonly, barriers to implementation are complex and beyond just one

factor; failure in the acknowledgement of these barriers can undermine the entire success

of the best formulated strategies (Cândido & Santos, 2019). The barriers here can be

grouped under internal organizational barriers, i.e., leadership style, resistance to change,

and organizational communication breakdown, and external environmental barriers, i.e.,

political and economic barriers as well as cultural barriers (Agrawal et al., 2020; Hina et

al., 2022). According to Narimissa et al. (2020), this means that these impediments need

to be identified and tackled during the planning phase so that responsiveness and

adaptability can be better achieved throughout the implementation process. Clear

mitigation strategies help mitigate against barriers by avoiding the delay of progress,

proper use of resources, and a result of stakeholder disengagement. As such, it is crucial

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that leaders understand the role that these hindrances play early on if the organization is

to translate strategic vision to effective execution and achieve sustainable results.

Solution One: Mentorship Programs

A widely endorsed method of reducing teacher attrition and of enhancing teacher

satisfaction is implementing an extensive mentorship program for new and early-career

teachers. However, the implementation of a mentorship program may come with various

barriers, especially in underinformed and leadership-undeveloped schools such as Mighty

Lions Elementary (Winderbaum & Coventry, 2024). High overall staff turnover makes it

difficult to find mentors experienced enough—the case with not just rural, but high-

poverty, districts as well (Frahm & Cianca, 2021). Also, when experienced teachers are

available, they may not have been trained or supported in order to be able to function as

effective mentors. According to Koerber et al. (2023), mentor training and program

quality are uneven, resulting in failures by mentees to receive proper support for

mentorship and retention. Furthermore, constraints such as scheduling restrictions and

limited time also affect mentors and mentees’ ability to actively participate in ongoing

interactions at the right time (Jun et al., 2023). The logistical hurdles involved here can

impede the realization of the goals of the mentorship program if the program is not well

planned and coordinated by the administration.

Furthermore, there is a lack of leadership buy-in, for example, in schools with

leadership turnover or weak administrative capacity preventing long-term strategic

planning (Leithwood et al., 2019). Frahm and Cianca (2021) also suggest that school

leaders can help mentorship programs be more sustainable by encouraging and actively

promoting mentorship as a cultural norm as opposed to an ad hoc initiative. In addition,

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Koerber et al. (2023) point out that merely having well-designed mentorship programs is

not sufficient to ensure sustained usage of the programs without active involvement of

the leadership, who may not buy into the programs or lack follow-through. Due to

instability in administration that has previously terminated the reforms right before

getting off the ground at Mighty Lions Elementary, it would be irresponsible, in that

context, to attempt to launch a mentorship initiative without also concurrently attempting

to stabilize the leadership and engage key stakeholders.

A phased implementation model that begins with a small cohort of teacher leaders

who are committed to mentors and backed by an administrator is a possible method for

overcoming these barriers. These teacher leaders can object to pilot mentors and give

input to a schoolwide mentorship plan. According to Wold et al. (2023), mentorship

programs based on the needs of teachers and paired with supportive mentors lead to

better and more sustainable results. Feedback mechanisms and evaluation tools like

mentor-mentee reflection logs and regular progress assessments should be incorporated to

make such a program self-corrective in nature. Furthermore, the mentorship gap can be

filled by forging partnerships with local universities or teacher preparation programs to

offer professional development resources (Betlem et al., 2019). Van den Borre et al.

(2021) also suggest that mentorship is embedded within broader institutional practices

and policy frameworks so as to not be a temporary fix but rather a long-term part of an

organization. Currently, at the organization Mighty Lions, providing mentorship as a

strategic initiative with strong administrative oversight and incremental expansion

appears to be the greatest chance of overcoming the constraints and significantly

enhancing teacher retention.

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Solution Two: Reducing Teacher Workload and Addressing Caseload Equity

One of the greatest obstacles to the implementation of the solution that will help

to eliminate the problem of heavy teacher workload and deal with the issue of caseload

equity is financial constraints that many schools struggle with, especially in high-needs

areas such as special education. However, schools generally have constrained budgets,

and additional staffing costs to hire more teachers or to have additional positions to assist

with taking the load off teachers can be difficult to bear. Wahab et al. (2024) and De

Witte et al. (2023) note that resource limitations of schools can be a considerable barrier

to the adoption of workload reduction strategies. It could result in resistance from school

leaders who would have to choose other areas in which to spend their money —

infrastructure or technology, perhaps — instead of staffing and support. Moreover, the

creation and implementation of the policy to consider the reduction of teacher workload

may require time, effort, and strong commitment from school leadership; it may bear

difficulty considering the gravity of the moment-to-moment operations. (Miller, 2023).

These obstacles can be overcome only if the schools try to find creative methods

of funding, such as the reallocation of existing resources, external requests for donations,

and participation in the programs aimed at government-funded teacher retention and

reduction of the load. According to Tompkins (2023), data-driven approaches can be

adopted by the schools to argue to stakeholders that teacher retention will lead to better

long-term educational outcomes since it is cost-effective and leads to workload reduction.

In addition, co-teaching or collaborative teaching can reduce the workload of each

teacher (Vembye et al., 2024; De Witte et al., 2023). Schools may have the ability to

absorb impact from cuts to their budgets in this way, while moving towards teacher

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workloads, by reshaping use of existing resources and investigating partnerships with

other institutions.

Strengthened by the results of the research studies and backed up by empirical

evidence, this solution can be embraced in that the reduced workload would not only

improve teacher morale and retention rates but also cause better student outcomes.

According to Creagh et al. (2025), teacher workload reduction is essential to sustaining a

healthy school culture as well as enhancing teacher well-being. Schools can increase their

capacity to support students, and grades can be improved, all of which offers teachers the

gift of extra time to provide students with the attention they need (Jacob et al., 2020).

This policy should be integrated within schools’ long-range strategic planning so that it

becomes a basic building block of their mission to foster a supportive and effective

learning environment. Reducing workload at the Mighty Lions Elementary level may

cause financial and logistical barriers to be incurred, due to which the school would

witness a dedicated, committed, and satisfied teaching staff, which will help solve the

problem of teacher shortage at the high-need school.

Solution Three: Leadership Stability and Distributed Leadership

A review of the studies conducted to investigate leadership stability and

distributed leadership as a strategic solution for teacher retention at the Mighty Lions

Elementary showed both the benefits and the key barriers that may hinder effective

implementation. According to Tran (2023), a high leadership turnover rate is a major

barrier that makes it difficult to build a sense of trust and create enduring professional

relationships among staff and takes away from school stability. The inconsistency in

leadership can cause a divided vision, goals, and changing priorities, which impede

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distributed leadership from taking place. Celik et al. (2024) conclude that distributed

leadership is demanding of a school’s culture and professional norms, which can be hard

to implement in high-need schools without strong administrative support and structured

systems of shared decision-making. Altogether, staff resistance owing to unclear roles,

low morale, or past experience of similar change initiatives would also impede

implementation.

A second barrier that has been noted in the literature is that distributed leadership

is dependent upon professional capacity and trust among educators, a condition that may

be an exception in low resource, stressed school environments. Rhinesmith et al. (2023)

claim that if leadership development does not continue, teachers will feel insufficiently

prepared to engage in leadership roles, thus hindering the objectives of shared

governance. Furthermore, however, there are no clearly defined leadership and

communication protocols, which lead to confusion and inefficiency and hence less staff

engagement. According to See et al. (2024), without stable and supportive leadership in

schools, there will not be the collaborative culture that enables distributed models to be

successful, a fact that speaks to the importance of having intentional planning and support

systems in place.

In order to solve these barriers, Mighty Lions Elementary can focus on having a

fully formed leadership pipeline that grows future leaders from within the teaching staff.

Therefore, professional development programs should be made to build capacity in

collaborative leadership, communication, and decision-making (Admiraal et al., 2021).

Additionally, there is work that needs to be done to stabilize school leadership by

supporting competitive hiring and retention practices of administrators through, for

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example, mentoring and district-level support. These actions would help prevent the

disruption of losing employees and provide a consistent vision of shared leadership.

Barriers of role ambiguity and resistance can be addressed by putting in place clear

structures for the distribution of leadership, like teacher leadership teams, shared

planning time, and distributed governance committees, among others (Nadeem, 2024).

Embedding these strategies in the school’s strategic improvement plan would move

Mighty Lions towards a more inclusive and stable leadership model that would support

teacher retention and growth.

Solution Four: Financial Incentives and Recruitment Strategies

According to Pham et al. (2021), financial incentives such as merit pay, loan

forgiveness, and recruitment bonuses can work as the levers of attracting and retaining

teachers, especially in the high-need subject areas like special education. One major

hindrance in the implementation of this decision at Mighty Lions Elementary is that the

necessary incentive system requires maximum resources to sustain. Gilmour et al. (2023)

state that school districts in underfunded districts are barely able to secure the funds for

the incentive program, and hence, they only render short-term incentives that do not give

long-term and lasting results. Moreover, as Koop (2024) states, incentives alone are not

enough unless there is stable leadership and support of a work culture that fosters a

culture of competence. It indicates that to be effective, financial incentive strategies do

not require only resource investment upfront; they also demand long-term planning and

support structure (Steele et al., 2010). Without stable funding, the teachers that initially

are attracted to the school run the risk of leaving for unaddressed systemic issues like

poor working conditions or insufficient administrative support.

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Another barrier to implementation is both incentive misalignment and

incompatibility of incentives with the way teachers expect to receive them or believe they

need them. According to Bland et al. (2023), financial incentives are not enough to

address retention whose impact on educator retention is determined by whether they are

tailored to the context where they are implemented or to the needs of teachers, or whether

they are linked to actual improvements in working conditions. Moreover, Gilmour et al.

(2023) point out that financial incentives may backfire on morale if they are seen as

unworthy or in conflict with other manners of being professionally recognized.

Acknowledging these challenges, it is critical that financial programs are articulated with

transparency and teacher input and linked to organization-level goals (Winkelmes et al.,

2023). This can be handled at Mighty Lions Elementary by including teachers in the

planning process and guaranteeing that rewards are matched with the presence of

professional development chances, mentorship programs, and well-defined paths to

continuous professional advancement. To build an attractive and stable teaching

environment, particularly in high-need roles, a mix of financial and non-financial

supports will be integrated.

Mighty Lions Elementary can partner with local educational agencies,

philanthropic organizations, and grant-funding bodies to overcome financial constraints

to obtain funding for incentive programs to be implemented. For instance, competition

for competitive grant funds supporting staffing shortages in underserved schools can be a

collaborative effort with the school district or with private foundations. For the school to

be sustainable, financial incentive strategies need to be integrated into a strategic plan

that also involves leadership development and teacher empowerment (Koop, 2024). By

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doing so, the school not only takes care of short-term recruitment concerns but also

places its bet on long-term retention strategies. However, the barriers to using financial

incentives can be curbed through aligning incentives with comprehensive school

improvement efforts and ensuring multi-year funding (Manna, 2021). This method

ensures there is economic and professional support to encourage teachers at Mighty Lions

Elementary and is proven to help cut down on turnover and improve educational

outcomes.

Summary of Rationale for Selected Solution

The internal and external environmental analysis during the strategic planning

process at Mighty Lions Elementary School identifies institutional challenges that need to

be critically evaluated in regard to the viability of available strategic alternatives. By

evaluating multiple solutions to solve the teacher shortage problem, it was possible to

better understand their strengths and weaknesses and select the most practical and

significant intervention. According to Agrawal et al. (2020), this selection of the most

appropriate strategic response depends on assessing this relationship between the

strategic needs of the organization and the feasibility of the solution in implementation.

Moreover, Cândido and Santos (2019) suggested that a strategic option also has to be

chosen for its benefits but also in proportion to the organization’s ability to cope with the

inherent challenges. Based on this evaluation, Solution One: Mentorship Programs was

determined to be the most promising approach to preventing teacher attrition. However,

this option is unique because it fixes all these problems with a strong evidence base, low

financial barriers, and alignment with the school’s current human resource capabilities.

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Mentorship programs help new, and early-career teachers build confidence,

develop confidence, and gain important professional skills in a structured opportunity.

Across different levels of education and primarily in high-need schools where teacher

attrition is highest, this solution has continually been successful. Koerber et al. (2023)

found that pushing mentorship as a key cause in teacher retention can only occur when

programs are tailored to individual teachers’ needs as well as being implemented with

fidelity. Also, Van den Borre et al. (2021) suggested that schools having an established

mentorship structure reported teachers with a higher job satisfaction and lesser likelihood

of leaving the school, especially when the mentorship is backed by the school leadership.

In addition to having a very adaptive solution that does not require tons of monetary

investment, mentorship programs are applicable to resource-constrained environments

such as Mighty Lions Elementary. More importantly, the long-term effect of having a

mentor on both the emotional well-being and instructional efficacy of the mentor also

creates a cultural shift within the school that benefits the staff and the students.

One possible obstacle for the rollout of mentorship programs is inconsistency in

the quality of mentors or program design that could result in variability of outcomes for

the teaching staff. This can be controlled by strategically planning and professional

development in a standardized form for mentorship training and expectations. Frahm and

Cianca (2021) propose that while school leadership plays an active and monitoring role in

mentorship programs, inferences are more favorable and sustainable. However, these

challenges can be overcome by creating formal mentor training protocols, providing

space for the mentor-mentee collaboration, and having continuous feedback mechanisms

for services. Maready et al. (2021) suggest that schools that kept peer mentoring systems

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in place over time did not only decrease teacher turnover but also fostered professional

communities that provided student teacher growth. Therefore, the mentorship programs,

if properly supported and planned, propose an evidence-based approach as well as an

intervention that can be modified to fit the specific context of the Mighty Lions

Elementary School.

Part 5: Strategies to Accomplish the Selected Solution

After the selection of the mentorship program as the most suitable solution to the

issue of teacher turnover and instruction issues at Mighty Lions Elementary School,

effective strategies must be built using both research evidence and the school’s setting. A

teacher mentorship program plays a major role in cutting the number of teachers who

leave elementary schools each year. Many new or struggling teachers choose to leave

because they feel overwhelmed, not supported or alone. Employees are partnered with

skilled colleagues who advise them, share valuable tips and give them emotional

encouragement. Mentorship builds a group of people who feel a part of the same

community Arnsby et al. (2023). Teachers appreciate the school and their role which

helps increase their job satisfaction and makes them more likely to want to stay. Through

Professional Learning Community models, teachers join forces to improve their planning,

look at student data and advance in their profession Clark et al. (2023). Having a team

environment helps cut down on isolation, a major reason why people quit. In practice,

teachers explain how to overcome learning difficulties which encourage teamwork and

respect among them. Working in a PLC encourages everyone to support students and

work toward the same purpose. This helps teachers feel a sense of belonging and

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accomplishment which improves their satisfaction. The selected strategies are the tiered

mentorship and professional learning community model.

Strategy One: Teacher Mentorship Model

New teachers normally face significant challenges as they try to adapt to the new

environmental settings, highlighting the need for an effective mentorship program to

support their integration. At Mighty Lions Elementary School, reducing teacher attrition

and encouraging instructional excellence are made possible through the introduction of a

tiered mentorship system. The strategy can be categorized into three levels. First, peer

mentors assist new teachers with daily tasks and the immediate challenges they face in

the classroom. Second, instructional coaches are a level that involves guiding teachers by

demonstrating lessons, watching them, and offering frequent feedback to help them get

better (Rowland et al., 2025). Third, veteran and administrative involvement involves

mentors providing long-term support to the teachers, assisting with career planning,

getting necessary licenses, and guiding teachers on completing school or district

objectives. Applications of this three-layered strategy enable the new teachers to

consistently receive enough support during their vital first years in their field of

professionalism.

Synthesis of Literature Related to Strategy One

Various studies support the effective influence of introducing mentorship

programs in schools, pinpointing their role in improving the rate of teachers’ retention

and instructional quality. Morris (2023) noted that programs designed for mentorship lead

to improved satisfaction of teachers and better performance of students. Evans (2024)

emphasized that teachers who go through induction programs that include mentoring are

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more likely to keep teaching and enjoy the profession without burnouts. In addition,

Prastikawati et al. (2024) argue that implementing quality mentorship as a priority leads

to stronger teaching practices as well as the improved quality of classroom environments.

Furthermore, a tiered mentorship approach encourages teachers to share

responsibility for improving the entire school, which aligns with elements of distributed

leadership that play a role in improving the entire school (Rowland et al., 2025). To

achieve the strategic goals outlined in MSCS’s “Destination 2025” plan, leadership and

instructional support are given top priority. Including peer mentors and instructional

coaches in the leadership setup enables both teachers and the school to achieve their

individual and institutional set objectives. In essence, the experienced teachers are

motivated as instructional leaders as the new members access firsthand experiences from

the veterans.

Moreover, many teachers at Mighty Lions Elementary have worked there for less

than 5 years. Such individuals encounter difficulties in dealing with cultural differences,

understanding the curriculum, and managing students (Blackmon, 2024). With a tiered

program, there is an increased chance for people to receive support when they need it.

Being exposed to different mentors helps new teachers understand the school culture and

respond to the needs of African American and low-income students.

Additionally, the strategy achieves equity because every new teacher is offered

the same level of mentoring, regardless of their background. Offering fair opportunities in

professional development can help achieve better results for students, mainly in

communities that are historically underserved (McKean et al., 2024). The tiered approach

ensures that new teachers learn to work with diverse students by using culturally

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responsive methods and a trauma-informed approach, which are key parts of MSCS’s

SEL program.

Several important action steps must be carried out to implement this strategy in

the school environment. First, the process should start with recruiting and training

mentors. Factors to consider are a candidate’s experience with teaching, how successful

they have been, and their capacity for leadership (Rowland et al., 2025). The

administration can involve district leaders in designing a development program for

mentors. Secondly, there should be clear guidelines for what mentors are expected to

provide. Notably, the peer mentors would strategically focus on the logistics of

classrooms through observations and taking comments. Third, there is a need to collect

information to measure how successful the program is after its implementation. Looking

at feedback from both parties will be used, along with assessment of school performance

and learning, to advance the program.

Overall, implementing the tiered mentorship program in the school will

effectively improve the school culture through encouraging professional growth,

teamwork, and trust among both the veteran and the new teachers. It aligns with the

district initiatives and relies on teachers within the school to boost the strength of its

overall staff.

Strategy Two: Developing a Professional Learning Community (PLC) Model

Developing a professional learning community (PLC) is the second model that

can effectively as it enhances the professional relationship. PLCs consist of teachers who

meet at regular intervals to discuss and analyze information and develop new ways to

teach and mentor students. Setting up PLCs for mentors and mentees will ensure that

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mentorship at Mighty Lions Elementary lasts and promotes accountability and trust

among the stakeholders.

Moreover, different studies have supported the idea that PLCs are greatly

effective at promoting teacher growth and improving a school’s performance. Haiyan and

Allan (2021) argue that through shared values, thoughtful inquiry, and joining efforts,

PLCs support learning within an organization. According to Wangmo and Tshering

(2021), teachers working in PLCs had better teaching skills and saw their students

achieve greater results. In addition, Ghamrawi and Shal (2024) emphasize that the

implementations of the PLCs in a school environment system act as a driving force of

transformative leadership and hence ensure that the individual goals align with the

institutional goals.

Implementing this strategy at Mighty Lions Elementary, PLC meetings take place

every 2 weeks, guided by agendas that help with setting goals, planning lessons, studying

topics, and reviewing progress. In this case, the new teachers and mentors would

cooperate to overcome teaching issues, discuss suggested methods, and gauge

improvement in learners’ performance. It might be structured so that facilitation changes

among the participants to help all members build confidence and have equal opportunities

to speak about their experiences.

Furthermore, PLCs encourage teachers to collaborate with others both vertically

and horizontally from other grade levels and departments (Meesuk et al., 2021). For

instance, a first-grade teacher can learn from a fifth-grade teacher about the steps

involved in mastering literacy skills. On the other hand, all students in the class can be

taught lessons with rigorous instructions while special education and general education

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teachers plan strategies that help students with IEPs reach their goals. This is an

interdisciplinary strategy that ensures that the MSCS is committed to enhancing

differentiated instruction and equity among the learners.

Moreover, ensuring mentorship experience is part of a PLC program, enhancing

the longevity and the success of the program. Instead of being added later, mentoring is

integrated into the everyday learning at the school. It enables the teachers to build strong

relationships among each other, embrace the challenges as stepping opportunities, and

collectively solve the existing issues within the school (Anchunda, 2021). Additionally,

PLCs help teachers feel more empowered by providing an environment where they can

learn and improve things on their own and work with others to produce new ideas for the

schools.

Synthesis of Literature Related to Strategy Two

PLCs require regular commitment of time and other resources to ensure they last

and are effective for years. School leaders have to make sure there is scheduled time for

PLC meetings. They ought to prepare teachers by training them in group behavior,

resolving disputes, and effective coaching. As seen in high-performing places, using

PLCs in this manner has helped bridge achievement gaps and consistently improve the

learning process (Hunter, 2021).

Additionally, teachers should also use data inquiry as a crucial element when

incorporating the PLC strategy into their school program. By looking at how their

students are performing, teachers discover any weaknesses in learning, improve their

approach, and check the results of updated plans. With data guiding the process,

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mentoring is rooted in relationships yet leaves people with results (Hunter, 2021). They

can recognize every little success and discuss difficult matters in a supportive team.

Concisely, the PLC strategy acts as a crucial element that helps prepare

participants for leadership positions. Gaining experience as a teacher, one can start

providing support and guidance to others and leading professional learning communities.

Because of this, teachers can support each other and the school, so it does not have to rely

on outside experts too much. It further supports MSCS’s plan to develop great leaders

and keep skilled staff in the schools.

Part 6: Evaluation of the Strategies

Quantitative Strategic Plan Matrix

The Quantitative Strategic Planning Matrix (QSPM) is an advanced tool in

strategic planning in which alternative organizational strategies are quantitatively

evaluated and prioritized on the basis of their internal and external factors in

organizations. This extends upon the Internal Factor Evaluation (IFE) and External Factor

Evaluation (EFE) matrices by weighting key strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and

threats. QSPM’s purpose is to help decision makers systematically evaluate strategic

alternatives, thereby providing a means to direct resources toward the greatest impact

(Elezaj & Kuqi, 2023; Sims et al., 2021). For each factor, a weight is assigned that

represents the relative importance of the factor (adding to 1.00 for both internal and

external categories), and each strategy is scored as an Attractiveness Score (AS) from 0

(not relevant) through 4 (highly attractive). The Total Attractiveness Score (TAS) is the

product of the weight associated with each factor and the AS of each factor.

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As input to the QSPM, 40 original key factors (identified in Part 1B of the SRP)

are used. These are 10 internal strengths and weaknesses and 10 external opportunities

and threats. The matrix is used to evaluate two strategies: launching a teacher mentorship

model and professional learning community (PLC) model. TAS values have allowed

Mighty Lions Elementary School to leverage them as a data-based foundation to

formulate the best use of its available strategic resources towards molding the most

effective interventions to address its teacher shortage crisis (Zhao et al., 2017; Harris &

Jones, 2017).

Evaluation of Internal Factor Evaluation

The QSPM is used to evaluate strategic alternatives based on internal factors

within the organization. Two strategies for confronting the crisis of the teacher shortage

problem at Mighty Lions Elementary School were formulated in this evaluation using 10

key strengths and 10 key weaknesses of the IFE matrix. A specific weight (0.03 to 0.07)

was given to each factor depending on its contribution to organizational performance.

The sum of the internal factors equaled 1.00, so that the elements of internal capacity

were balanced in assessment.

Strategy 1 (TAS score 2.90) involved the implementation of a structured teacher

mentorship program. Strategy 2 was to develop professional learning communities to

assist new and upcoming teachers, and it scored six points higher internally on the TAS,

with an internal TAS score of 2.96. The results revealed that both Strategy 1 and 2

closely match the organization’s internal environment, yet Strategy 2 accomplishes

internal strengths a bit more effectively than Strategy 1. Strategy 1 scored highly at the

internal level on the variables of employee expertise (TAS = 0.28), financial performance

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(TAS = 0.24), and customer loyalty (TAS = 0.20), thereby demonstrating the alignment

with existing institutional assets. Strategy 2, on the other hand, was better at using

collaborative partnerships and online sales.

Research highlights the important role of internal factors in strategic evaluation,

particularly with respect to talent (i.e., teacher shortages). Miao and Nduneseokwu (2025)

propose that mentorship, organizational learning, and leadership development are

essential internal capabilities for workforce sustainability in education. Furthermore,

Greer et al. (2017) state that successful strategic implementation requires the school to

understand internal structure and human resources as essential pillars. Validation of the

IFE's role in differentiating between alternative strategies and for the use of QSPM as a

reliable tool in decision-making is supported through these perspectives.

Table 9

Quantitative Strategic Plan Matrix: Internal Factor Strengths and Weaknesses

Item Weight Strategy 1 Strategy 2

AS Total AS AS Total AS

Strengths

1. Vision plan 0.06 4 0.24 3 0.18

2. Employee expertise 0.07 4 0.28 3 0.21

3. Unique opportunities 0.06 3 0.18 4 0.24

4. Financial performance 0.06 4 0.24 3 0.18

5. Market leadership 0.05 3 0.15 3 0.15

6. Customer loyalty 0.05 4 0.20 3 0.15

7. Highly profitable 0.05 3 0.15 2 0.10

8. Collaborative partnerships 0.05 3 0.15 4 0.20

9. Online sales 0.05 2 0.10 3 0.15

10. Range of products 0.05 3 0.15 3 0.15

Total Strengths 0.55 1.84 1.81

Weaknesses

1. Microeconomic conditions 0.06 2 0.12 3 0.18

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Discussion of Internal Factors That Influence the Plan

The internal factors included in the QSPM denote important components that can

affect either or both strategic alternatives being reviewed. Each factor was weighted

strategically on its impact on operational success and capacity to solve teacher shortages

for Mighty Lions Elementary School. Attractiveness Scores (AS) were assigned as 1 to 4

depending on the fitness of each strategy in terms of each internal factor’s ability to align

with or respond to that factor.

For example, the employee expertise factor was weighted as 0.07, and AS was 4,

meaning the strategy was aligned with the district’s existing human capital to improve

internal capacity (TAS = 0.28). Similarly, the weight for financial performance (weight =

0.06) was scored 4 for Strategy 1 because internal mentorship programs could be borne at

a relatively low cost and brought a relatively high return. Contrarily, Strategy 2 did score

higher in collaborative partnerships (AS = 4, TAS = 0.20) and unique opportunities (AS

= 4, TAS = 0.24), demonstrating ways in which external academic collaborations could

be leveraged for long-term gains in terms of staffing.

Factors such as online sales and business format were also given lower AS values

(2 or 3) since these were only loosely inclined to resolving teacher shortage problems and

2. Dependence on US markets 0.06 2 0.12 3 0.18

3. High debt levels 0.06 2 0.12 2 0.12

4. Late e-commerce adoption 0.04 2 0.08 3 0.12

5. Expansion constraints 0.04 3 0.12 2 0.08

6. Staff shortages 0.04 4 0.16 3 0.12

7. Communication challenges 0.04 3 0.12 3 0.12

8. Aging infrastructure 0.04 2 0.08 3 0.12

9. Limited supply chain 0.04 2 0.08 3 0.12

10. Business Format 0.03 2 0.06 3 0.09

Total Weaknesses 0.45 1.06 1.15

Internal Factor Total 1.00 2.90 2.96

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had limited bearing on either strategy. But they were still relevant within the larger

institutional frame. All strengths and weaknesses received an AS of 5, and none received

an AS of 0, as all 10 strengths and 10 weaknesses were deemed to be materially relevant

to both strategies, to varying degrees.

The nuances of this scoring prevent the QSPM from assuming that every factor

holds the same degree of influence (as is often employed in less strategic evaluations).

Ezell et al. (2021) indicate that weighting and scoring should be consistent with the real

strategic influence of each factor in context and not assume equal importance. Likewise,

Bryson (2018) highlights that human resource quality and leadership practices are critical

internal factors that determine the way educational reform strategies take place and

should be given due attention. Further, these insights bolster the justification of the

assigned weights and attractiveness scores in this evaluation.

Evaluation of External Factor Evaluation

External factors are those external to the organization and over which the

organization has no control but can affect the success or failure of strategic

implementation. For this evaluation, 10 opportunities and 10 threats from the External

Factor Evaluation (EFE) matrix were examined using QSPM to see how they align with

each of the two suggested strategies. Each factor was given a target weight according to

its strategic importance, representative of a range from 0.02 to 0.08, and the sum of

which yields a total factor weight of 1.00 across external factors.

Strategy 1 (teacher mentorship program) achieved a total external TAS of 2.49,

while Strategy 2 (professional learning communities) resulted in 3.02. This supports the

stronger Strategy 2’s responsiveness to external conditions such as opportunity for global

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expansion (AS = 4, TAS = 0.32), online growth (AS = 4, TAS = 0.24), and product line

extension (AS = 4, TAS = 0.24). The scores indicate a match with the current labor

market trends in regard to what universities are doing as well as policy-driven incentives

to diversify and strengthen teacher pipelines.

Alternatively, Strategy 1 proved more efficient in tiding over external threats

arising from employee turnover (AS = 4, TAS = 0.16) and escalating costs (AS = 3, TAS

= 0.21) since the structure was internal and therefore cost contained. Although Strategy 2

generated low scores on threats, like employee turnover (AS = 2; TAS = 0.08), Strategy 2

capitalized long-term external partnerships to counter systemic workforce shortages.

Strategic management scholars generally agree that the need for a firm to develop

a robust understanding of the external environment is critical. Cardoso Castro (2019)

claims that external alignment improves adaptability and guarantees long organizational

viability. Farida and Setiawan (2022) corroborate this by emphasizing the need to

monitor external trends — economic, technological, and regulatory — for the

development of responsive and competitive strategies. Strategy 2 is allowed to capitalize

on the external opportunity and by virtue of that has a slight strategic lead, but Strategy

1’s mitigative strength offers immediate stability.

Table 10

Quantitative Strategic Plan Matrix: External Factor Opportunities and Threats

Item Weight Strategy 1 Strategy 2

AS Total AS AS Total AS

Opportunities

1. Global expansion 0.08 2 0.16 4 0.32

2. New customer segments 0.07 2 0.14 3 0.21

3. Product line extensions 0.06 3 0.18 4 0.24

4. Competitor weaknesses 0.05 3 0.15 3 0.15

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Discussion of External Factors That Influence the Plan

The external factors were then evaluated using the Quantitative Strategic Planning

Matrix (QSPM), which assigned Attractiveness Scores (AS) to each opportunity and

threat in the range of 1 to 4 according to how much each could potentially influence the

success of the proposed strategies. Factors were assigned scores on an ordinal scale of 0,

meaning that no factor was assigned a zero because all held at least some minimal

relevance to the organization’s strategic planning context. Through a strategic lens, the

scores were carefully determined based on how effectively each strategy was able to

capitalize on an opportunity or mitigate a threat.

External opportunities such as global expansion (AS = 4), online growth (AS = 4),

and product line extensions (AS = 4) contribute to high scores for Strategy 2

(Professional Learning Communities). These factors are aligned with the external-facing

nature of the strategy—the goal being to create new recruitment pipelines and keep

5. Online growth 0.06 3 0.18 4 0.24

6. Private label offerings 0.05 2 0.10 3 0.15

7. Improving economy 0.05 3 0.15 3 0.15

8. Strategic acquisitions 0.05 2 0.10 3 0.15

9. Logistics enhancements 0.05 2 0.10 3 0.15

10. Advertising effectiveness 0.05 2 0.10 3 0.15

Threats

1. New competitive threats 0.05 2 0.10 2 0.10

2. Economic downturns 0.07 3 0.21 3 0.21

3. Rising costs 0.07 3 0.21 2 0.14

4. Supply chain disruptions 0.06 2 0.12 3 0.18

5. Shifting consumer trends 0.04 3 0.12 3 0.12

6. Regulations and compliance 0.03 2 0.06 3 0.09

7. Employee turnover 0.04 4 0.16 2 0.08

8. Technology disruptions 0.03 3 0.09 3 0.09

9. Product recalls 0.02 2 0.04 3 0.06

10. Natural disasters 0.02 1 0.02 2 0.04

External Totals 1.00 2.49 3.02

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abreast across an increasingly competitive educational workforce environment. Bastian

and Marks, (2017) note that partnering with teacher preparation programs results in both

a substantial increase in the supply and the quality of new educators in the profession.

Coffey et al. (2019) also argue that developing such a formal university–school

collaboration enables districts to proactively and realistically address imminent teacher

shortages and reduce teacher workforce diversity. These factors support high AS scores

for Strategy 2 in respect to external opportunities.

Strategy 1 (Teacher Mentorship Program) scored high to mitigate external threats,

whereas Strategy 2 (PLCs) scored extremely low in mitigating external threats. With a

score of 4, it focused on improving retention and professional growth through internal

support systems, and the strategy was thus awarded this score for employee turnover. The

literature supports mentorship programs as high-impact, cost-effective tools to reduce

teacher attrition and increase teacher satisfaction (Crassous et al., 2024). Moreover,

Strategy 1 was given 3s for economic downturns, rising costs, and changes in consumer

trends due to its ability to withstand any economic hardships. Investing in human capital

already present in the school can insulate a school from volatility and attenuate

dependency on external hiring markets.

More generalized or less immediately impactful factors received lower scores (AS

= 1 or 2), such as natural disasters, technology disruptions, and product recalls. Since

these threats were often unpredictable or irrelevant to staffing strategy, they had far fewer

implications on the relative strength of the proposed plans. Nevertheless, add their

presence to the matrix for carrying out a complete analysis of the external environment.

As Kuran et al. (2020) notes, systemic vulnerabilities and strategic contingencies can

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even be less critical external variables. Similarly, Doh et al. (2019) support this broad

spectrum, pushing for the range to include both macro and micro environments to

produce robust and adaptive strategic plans.

First Alternative Attractiveness Score and Benefit for the Organization

Strategy 1, the structured teacher mentorship program, exhibited a Total

Attractiveness Score (TAS) of 5.39 through the QSPM analysis. Based on the

organization’s internal strengths —expertise among employees, financial performance,

and a well-defined vision—the strategy is devised for successfully onboarding and

developing novice teachers. One of the school's most pressing weaknesses was staff

shortages (AS = 4, TAS = 0.16), and linkage to the strategic goal of retaining qualified

educators was the reason for the high attractiveness score.

The main advantage of this approach is that it is sustainable, and it builds the

internal capacity. Spooner-Lane (2017) research shows that mentorship programs

increase teacher effectiveness, decrease turnover, and cultivate a spirit of collaboration.

This is especially critical in high-need schools, since mentoring enhances job satisfaction

and teacher efficacy, which are two key elements in promoting instructional consistency

and student achievement. In addition, it promotes professional development, stays

coherent with organizational HR structures, and mitigates the need to rely on external

recruitment programs.

Kraft et al. (2018) state that effective mentoring may have a significant impact on

teacher performance and retention and structure feedback and peer coaching. Adoption of

such a program at Mighty Lions Elementary School would create a stronger internal

leadership pipeline in the district, create a more resilient workforce, and help foster a

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positive school culture, all without busting the budget. The QSPM scores indicate that

Strategy 1 utilizes internal strengths more effectively and provides an immediate

operational benefit to all stakeholders (i.e., teachers, students, and administrators).

Second Alternative Attractiveness Score and Benefit for the Organization

Among the two options analyzed in the QSM, Strategy 2, composed of

developing professional learning communities, received the higher Total Attractiveness

Score (5.98). This externally oriented strategy leverages external opportunities well by

maximizing global expansion (AS = 4, TAS = 0.32), online growth (AS = 4, TAS =

0.24), and product line extension with diversified hiring pipelines (AS = 4, TAS = 0.24).

The scores of these indicate that Strategy 2 is more aligned with the current systemic

trends both in education and in workforce development.

Creating strategic partnerships with teacher preparation programs provides

opportunities for long-term advantage, especially in districts facing persistent teacher

shortages. Hash (2021) state that these collaboration aids reduce vacancy rates by

supplying a reliable stream of well-prepared, mission-aligned educators. Also, these

partnerships expand the variety of the teacher workforce, which is a concern for schools

educating a distinct student body. Mighty Lions Elementary School (MLES) can partner

with regional universities, allowing it to draw upon the school's proximity to student

teachers, residency program candidates, and recent graduates who are already trained in

socially responsive pedagogy and contemporary instructional techniques.

Furthermore, these partnerships enable co-creation of tailored certification

programs, and MLEs shape the university-level curriculum. According to García and

Weiss (2019), district-university partnerships can generate innovations in teacher training

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and hold teacher preparation accountable to the realities of the classroom. Although it is a

more time-consuming, resource-coordination-intensive approach to workforce planning,

Strategy 2 represents a proactive strategy for workforce planning that reduces future

dependency on the rollout of emergency certifications or the intake of unqualified hires.

Contrary to Strategy 1, Strategy 2 seems to provide no immediate rewards but,

nevertheless, is a long-term strategic choice. The results of QSPM also reveal the fact that

it meets external challenges and align the school for enduring improved recruitment and

retention. Beyond the internal stakeholders, its benefit can reach the larger educational

ecosystem by promoting systemic solutions to educator shortages.

Summary of Most Important Strategy

Based on analysis of the Quantitative Strategic Planning Matrix (QSPM), Strategy

2: Developing Professional Learning Communities is the most strategically valuable

option for Mighty Lions Elementary School (MLES), with a total attractiveness score

(TAS) of 5.98. The strategy performed slightly better when compared to Strategy 1; the

Teacher Mentorship Program had a TAS of 5.39. While both strategies are valid

approaches to addressing the school’s teacher shortage problem, Strategy 2 is more

consistent with the external factors, including the tendency in higher education, the

changes in the labor market, and innovation in teacher preparation.

The main reason for Strategy 2 scoring higher is because it has the ability to

exploit certain key opportunities such as university-driven certification programs, online

recruitment tools, and global expansion. Rhinesmith et al. (2023) demonstrate that

partnering with universities helps build recruitment capacity and retention by tailoring

teacher education programs to address schools’ pedagogical needs. Furthermore, these

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collaborations also assist in long-term planning and future workforce planning and

provide a continual supply of credentialed candidates to keep the MLES stable from the

long-term perspective.

Nevertheless, Strategy 1 should not be considered unimportant. The strategy is a

powerful complement to Strategy 2, as it provides mechanisms for dealing with internal

weaknesses and climate but still keeps a focus on external opportunities. Graham e al.

(2020) note that mentorship develops novice teachers’ classroom management skills,

enhances morale, and cultivates a culture of shared leadership. Strategy 2 builds the

bench, while Strategy 1 makes sure teachers stay and thrive.

Given the district’s long-term vision and capacity for innovation, the most

important strategy to implement is Strategy 2. The school can scale addressing its human

capital crisis, expand its recruitment reach, and respond to shifts in the teacher

demographic. The implications are not only for the school, however; district leadership,

community partners, and, most of all, students will benefit from a more stable and

qualified teaching force.

Table 11

Total Attractiveness Scores across Analyses and Strategies

Item Strategy 1 Strategy 2

Internal factors 1.84 1.81

Strengths 1.06 1.15

Weaknesses 2.90 2.96

Internal factor total

External factors 1.45 2.06

Opportunities 1.04 0.96

Threats 2.49 3.02

External factor total 5.39 5.98

Total 1.84 1.81 Note. Rated on a scale of 0–4.

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Part 7: Development of an Action Plan

An action plan is a strategic roadmap that involves a list of actions that an

organization needs to take to execute a suggested solution. Bryson (2018) argues that

action planning is necessary in transforming theoretical strategies into actionable results,

improving accountability, and adjusting the organizational resources to specific goals. It

makes the strategic vision of the company operative by specifying time frames,

responsibilities, resources, and success measures (Mintzberg et al., 2020). The plan

chosen in Part 6 of this SRP may be categorized as the one aimed to improve the

stakeholder engagement by using the moderated transfer of the telepractice services. This

strategy covers the organizational deficiencies traced out earlier in terms of the

accessibility and flexibility of service provision platforms. The action plan thus offers the

structure to inform the orderly implementation and viability of this solution in the

organization.

Action Steps

Action steps are crucial in a strategic research project on teacher retention in an

elementary school because they provide a detailed roadmap for implementing the chosen

strategy, transforming goals into reality (Nguyen et al., 2024). As highlighted in the

provided text, action steps define clear objectives, establish timelines, identify necessary

resources, and assign roles and responsibilities. For this strategic research project,

specific action steps would be developed to implement strategies such as developing

needs assessments; fostering relationships with stakeholders and members of the

community; enhancing technological infrastructure; launch faculty and student training

initiatives; and establish ongoing monitoring and evaluation mechanisms. The action

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steps are paramount in a strategic research project on teacher retention in an elementary

school since they convert the abstract objectives into measurable tangible activities

(Lochmiller et al., 2024). Even the most clear and acute research findings and clever

strategies cannot be performed without particular steps of action. They give us clear and

concise direction, a timeline and create responsibilities and efforts to enhance teacher

retentions become systematic and effective.

The first action step is a needs assessment with students, faculty, and community

partners, the most important stakeholders. This will gather qualitative and quantitative

data to build and tailor telepractice services. This includes focus groups, online surveys,

and organized interviews. Owen (2020) says a thorough requirements assessment helps

connect service goals with user expectations and identifies potential hurdles early in

planning. All stakeholders must have access to comprehensive, culturally sensitive

evaluation tools. Diagnostic progress can be compared to implementation.

The second action step is develop a rapport with the local organizations and

institutions, people working in healthcare and education, and alumni. The work in teams

promotes the ability to access, credibility, and equitable distribution of resources.

According to Rawlinson et al. (2021), cross-disciplinary collaborations among specialists

are more effective and enduring in terms of introducing new services. Such relations will

become formalized with Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) that will describe

spheres of collaboration, responsibilities, and ways to communicate. The advisory groups

will also welcome comments and assistance from the community stakeholders (Frost et

al., 2024).

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The third action step is the modernization of the technology to give quality, safe

telepractices. This involves the updating of servers, internet security training, and

software that may track video conferences and is HIPAA compliant (Modi & Feldman,

2022). Telehealth relies heavily on a positive technical base in such a way that it succeeds

and works (Kobeissi & Hickey, 2023). The Office of Innovation and Information

Technology will assist the company in applying redundancies to avoid service failure and

improve systems’ scalability.

The fourth action step is creating and implementing a comprehensive teacher and

student training program. The lessons will cover excellent telepractice communications,

information security, ethics, and evidence-based intervention. Continuous and contextual

professional development facilitates both the utilization and retention of knowledge,

according to Zeggelaar et al. (2022). Among the numerous learning management systems

(LMS), face-to-face workshops, and simulation laboratories, a diverse selection of

learning techniques will be utilized during the training.

The fifth action step is to develop an effective monitoring and assessment tool to

determine the progress of implementation and performance. There will be formative

(continuous) and summative (cycle-ending) evaluation. Digital dashboard Key

Performance Indicators (KPIs) such as service consumption, stakeholder satisfaction, and

client results will be used. Inisha and Elly (2022) propose employing usage-centered

assessment systems to simplify reality-based assessment and adjustive implementation

training.

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Timeline

The implementation timeline is clear so that every plan should be executed

conveniently during the fiscal year of the organization, September 1, 2025, to July 30,

2026. Milestones provide an organization with order and accountability, particularly in

long-duration, multi-phase projects such as that of telepractice service implementation.

Kerzner (2025) explains that a time scale identifies start and finish dates and assists in

tracking sequencing links, resource deployment, and risk management responsibilities.

Under this plan, there are four stages in the schedule. Q1 (September to October) will

entail needs assessment through surveys, focus groups, and preliminary scouting of

partners. Q2 (October to December) will emphasize infrastructure upgrades like safe

telepractice platforms and reviews on cybersecurity. During Q3 (January to March),

January instructors and students underwent professional development on ethical,

technical, and clinical issues of telepractice. Q4 (April to July) is dedicated to tracking

and evaluation, during which crucial performance metrics can be recorded and results

summarized. According to Fewings and Henjewele (2019), a structured planning calendar

may allow one to think and rethink and make sure that the stages of the tactical rollout

coincide with the plans of the institution.

Roles and Responsibilities

Clear roles and responsibilities to help strategic initiatives succeed. Gandrita

(2023) suggests placing people based on their knowledge, corporate position, and

responsibility to boost operational efficiency and morale. To enable telepractice

implementation, this action plan has assigned key roles. The project coordinator, who

controls and communicates, will implement the strategy and meet milestones. The clinic

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director will oversee training and development due to clinical supervision and

instructional design experience. IT managers are responsible for planning the

infrastructure, safeguarding the data, ensuring the reliability of the facilities, and adhering

to HIPAA regulations. The faculty development officer will design and present training

modules and observations and make necessary changes according to the feedback to

change the curriculum. Evaluation tools will also be developed and used by the

evaluation officer to assess program efficacy. Levi and Askay (2020) assert that the

action plan effectively addresses roles and core abilities, which means that every activity

is done in a professional and responsible manner.

Resources

To implement this telepractice strategy successfully, a relevant and strong cluster

of resources is necessary. Hill et al. (2020) suggest that strategic resource analysis should

be utilized when making the foundation of the sustainable implementation plans, which

identify the individual and institutional needs. Faculty facilitators, IT professionals, and

project managers will be crucial to training offerings and platform and performance.

Institutional grants and the submission of grant applications will cover the costs of

equipment, software licenses, and training materials. Technology includes safe

telemedicine systems, fast internet, data encryption, and clinical-standard computer

interfaces (Aguilar, 2020). Rooms, simulation labs, and telepractice stations will be

available. A quarterly resource supervision review committee will ensure the budget

follows the overall budget. This detailed identification and release of resources will keep

the organization ready and consistent throughout the action plan.

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Organizational Support

The successful establishment of a large program is dependent on gaining the

support of the organizational stakeholders. Ozdemir et al. (2023) state that the

stakeholder theory is based on the idea that the identification and alignment of the

interests of all parties is what will ensure long-term success. At different levels,

institutions will support this action plan. Deans and department chairs will contribute to

strategy, finance, and policy. The faculty will offer telepractice and immediate corrective

feedback as learners and practitioners. Pilot and beta testing will be pivotal for student

support. The broad community of alumni, community health groups, and local school

boards will help scale telepractice services reach and impact. Hilty et al. (2020) states that

these stakeholders will be collaborative and develop plans and propagate the cause.

Regular sessions of engaging with the stakeholders must be a part of the company culture

to build up some momentum, solicit comments, and demystify the process.

Barriers or Resistance

Resistance to strategic plans is inevitable; therefore, it is important to identify

potential change management obstacles. Resistance to change, suspicion of technology,

digital illiteracy, and security of outsourced data are some of the factors that serve as

barriers to telepractice implementation. As Mouazen et al. (2024) suggest,

underestimating the strength of resistance and failing to gain an early victory is one of the

most considerable causes of the failure of strategic plans. The ADKAR paradigm

(Paramitha et al., 2020) will address these challenges by creating awareness, desire,

knowledge, ability, and reinforcement. The need to shift will be explained during the

awareness efforts. Training will develop knowledge and skills, and pilot projects will

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instill confidence in staff members in a safe manner. The reinforcers include digital

badges, community compliments, and achievement responses (Horstman et al., 2020). By

mercilessly destroying such obstacles, the organization will create a climate that would

lead to long-term growth.

Evaluation

Evaluation is useful in assisting the organizations that apply strategies to measure

progress, recognize barriers, and overcome the challenge. This action plan will be

assessed with the help of the CIPP model, which includes the following aspects: Context,

Input, Process, and Product (Dizon, 2023). Context assessment ascertains whether

implementation is attempting institutional objectives and expectations of the

stakeholders. Input evaluation reviews the sufficiency and suitability of inputs. Process

evaluation will check implementation fidelity, schedules, and involvement. Such data as

satisfaction surveys, focus group comments, etc., both quantitative and qualitative ones,

will be employed to assess product impact. Quarterly reports on evaluation will be

considered in leadership. According to Patton (2023), utilization-focused evaluation

ensures the application of knowledge to make even more effective and sustainable

decisions.

Reflection on the Overall Experience

The process of action planning has been immensely developmental at an

intellectual and methodological level. It has shown the complexity of the interrelationship

between vision and operationalization, and further to this point, strategy, regardless of

how good, will not be achieved before it is backed by some form of structured planning

(Bryson, 2018). Cortellazzo et al. (2019) argue that leaders need to build a so-called

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implementation mindset, that is, one that is adaptive, evidence-informed, and

stakeholder-oriented. This was through intensive synthesis of empirical literature,

organizational evaluation data, and strategic planning models, and this challenge forced

me to develop analytical writing, evaluation, and leadership skills. Also, it created a

stronger understanding of the importance of the concept of systems thinking, and I was

able to realize that minor interventions in one domain, for example, training, could

potentially affect multiple aspects of service quality, equity, and sustainability. In

general, this part of the Strategic Research Project was not only an academic process but

rather a transformational experience into a more reflective, competent, and visionary

practitioner.

Part 8: Audio-Visual Presentation of SRP

Narrative of Electronic Presentation

To give a synopsis and graphical illustration of this Strategic Research Project

(SRP) a visual presentation was created using Microsoft Power Point. The use of power

point presentation creates a platform where an audio-visual display of any presentation

can be developed easily and quickly, on the basis of which the whole thing becomes easy

to follow and understand (Januarta et al., 2020). The presentation provides a graphical

overview of the work done and has been designed to help with better comprehension of

the process carried out in this Strategic Research Project (SRP). This aspect has been

supported in the assertions by Inaltekin and Goksu (2019) who stated that awareness of

the information being presented becomes far better by receiving a PowerPoint

presentation with the visuals. This audio-visual presentation is composed of images,

smart shapes, tables, in-text citations and audio because it helps to summarize the main

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facts of this SRP. The audio can be listened to during the whole presentation of the author

of this study and gives an account summary of the way that the methodology of handling

the problem of teacher shortages as it relates to teacher mentoring and professional

learning communities. The presentation can be reviewed in Appendix E.

The presentation starts with an introduction of the SRP while it examines

sustainable responses to the problem of teacher workforce shortage, paying particular

attention to mentorship programs and professional learning communities (PLCs) as

sustainable methods of enhancing teacher retention (Shields, 2020). This is accompanied

by a snippet history of the organization, and it contains details in regard to its history and

structure of operation. The driving force behind its mission, vision and core values is then

brought out and then a snapshot picture of the SWOT analysis is taken by just illustrating

the major internal and external factors which have been detected. The researcher

presented details that explained the setting and specifics of the organization, school

district, as a whole. The problem was then defined and a summary of rationale and scope

given and presented against a story summary of the literature that supports the need to

resolve the problem. Four potential solutions were then defined that helped in solving the

need to have teacher mentorship programs and professional learning communities to

assist in the high rate of teacher retention. These included (a) running comprehensive

mentorship programs to keep teachers; (b) reducing the teachers' workload and correcting

the caseload inequity to prevent exhaustion; (c) stabilizing leadership to be able to give

consistent guidance and support; and (d) providing financial incentives and recruiting

strategies that target and retain the qualified teachers.

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A training in research-based teacher mentorship and professional learning

communities are found to be notably solutions and are illustrated with the reason of the

selection provided. The presentation progresses to give an explanation of the strategies

that were chosen to fill the gap of teacher attrition. These approaches are direct teaching

where teachers and teacher leaders have an immediate experience and workshops with

guidance. A picture was chosen to show how the Quantitative Strategic Planning Matrix

(QSPM) is used and plays the key role in the assessment of chosen strategies. This is then

followed by the snapshot of the internal and external factors whether they favor the

appeal of each strategy and the overall attractiveness scores (TAS) defined by the internal

and external environment and followed by the overall TAS which is comprised of all

combined factors which is in favor of each strategy. Mentorship-supported workshops is

the specified approach that is followed and explained by a story about the usage of the

QSPM tool and the scoring procedure to follow. The picture of the five goals of the

strategic planning framework in realistic shape is followed by list of the various elements

of the action plan and they are as follows; (a) the desired outcome; (b) the timeline; (c)

resources; (d) roles; (e) organizational support; and (f) barriers. Last, the presentation will

end with the research findings and my representations of the general research process and

experience. The presentation presents the audience with an audio-visual representation of

a highly detailed and encompassing strategic research study that is well ordered, concise

and clear.

Peer Review Questions

As stated by Koshy and others (2018) as well as Tennant and Ross-Hellauer

(2020), peer reviews are important in determining the quality of research literature that is

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needed to augment the information base in science. The authors expounded that even

poorly conducted research goes through peer reviews which gives a lot of strength to

research and in the process enhancing the faith of readers. Peer review is an ancient

mental practice in the field of science and has a direct and key part in the achievement of

the scientific value (Koshy et al., 2018; Tennant & RossHellauer, 2020). The implication

of this scientific research is widespread other than in academic research sphere because it

is applied in the formation of government policies, structure and processes, which are

significantly dependent on validity and reliability of the research (Koshy et al., 2018).

One very important aspect of setting this standard is the peer reviews. The peer review

system enables the scholars to undergo constructive criticism by practicing scholars who

may implement some of the crucial changes that will help them to improve the quality

and reliability of the research work. All of my colleagues came up with three questions

following the review of the presentation. The theme of all questions asked were related to

accountability either in terms of the broad picture of teacher preparation program, or in

terms of the strategy being used. More often than not, the questions attempted to draw

further knowledge to accountability which required that the strengths such as the college

mission, vision, reputation, the existing marketing advantage and the fact that the college

was newly accredited could be exploited via the adoption of capacity-building workshops

which would be supported by the term mentorship or that there was accountability which

was inherent in the strategy that was adopted and which was in the direction that the

evaluation was being conducted. The questions were stimulating, especially those that

needed to be given an insight of the sustainability of the monitoring and evaluation

processes. In fact, all questions formed the foundation to propose suggestions on possible

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research in the future especially in as far as it concerns the need to lay more emphasis on

teacher retention with emphasis on teacher mentoring and professional learning

communities. The questions highlighted the significance of the role of evaluation in

impact investigations of the chosen strategy that is most likely to be carried in

circumstances when it is possible to evaluate training and mentorship during an extended

period. The questions caused me to evaluate the conditions attached to the political

climate and the possible influence on the internal environment of the college concerning

the problem of responsibility regarding the strategy chosen. All the questions and the

respective answers can be used to support this strategy and also to bring out areas in the

greater organization that should be addressed during the implementation process. The

role of the researcher/director in the execution of the workshops with the assistance of

mentorship was also the focus of part of the questions put across. This emphasized the

importance that the researcher should have in giving directions to the team selected to

take the significant action steps of the action plan. The questions and answers were listed

in Appendix F and provide a proper setting to carry on with further considerations and

analyses of workshops that are aimed at developing capacity towards solving the issue of

high teacher retention rates.

Oral Defense of the SRP

Certainly, the oral defense of the SRP was a very valuable experience. It offered a

chance to know more about the research work that my fellow students are carrying out,

and even more to be able to answer them as a chance to increase their thoughts and

perspective about my work. Above all, the provision of the opportunity that the questions

were asked gave me room to build on the context of my research because of the range of

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the nature of the views on the topic being researched. Additionally, the oral defense was

an avenue through which the researcher sought to justify the rationale behind the study.

The oral defense will give an opportunity to offer evidence that there has been rigorous,

doctoral level quality research, which is in line with the criterion established by the

university and the research was done by the researcher (Wong, 2013).

Narrative Defense of Selected Questions

The lead faculty chose the questions out of a list of questions provided by the

peers of the researcher. The follow-up question was one of the core questions that

allowed an opportunity to discuss the rationale behind the selection of the final solution

and the key factors influential in the decision to prioritize it over others, as well as the

effectiveness of the program in general. The first question asked by my instructor was,

“What was the rationale behind your selection of the final solution, and what key factors

influenced your decision to prioritize it over the others?” The primary rationale for

introducing targeted financial incentives and recruitment strategies is to address the

supply-side issues in the teacher workforce and directly influence teacher choice.

Teaching salaries often lag behind those of other professions requiring similar levels of

education and responsibility. Financial incentives can help close this gap, making

teaching a more financially attractive career option, particularly for highly skilled

individuals who might otherwise pursue more lucrative fields (Cabrera & Webbink,

2019). Many new teachers graduate with significant student loan debt. Loan forgiveness

programs or stipends can alleviate this burden, making the profession more accessible

and appealing. Targeted incentives can draw teachers to hard-to-staff schools (often those

in high-poverty, rural, or urban areas) and subject areas (e.g., STEM, special education)

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where shortages are most acute (Evans & Mendez Acosta, 2023). Without these

incentives, teachers might naturally gravitate towards less challenging environments or

higher-paying disciplines. Higher pay or bonuses in challenging environments

acknowledge the increased demands and emotional toll of teaching in such settings. This

can act as a direct incentive to stay. If teachers perceive their current school or district

offers competitive compensation, they may be less likely to seek opportunities elsewhere.

In districts with high turnover, financial incentives can stem the outflow of experienced

teachers to neighboring, better-resourced districts.

The decision to prioritize targeted financial incentives and recruitment strategies

over others would be influenced by several key factors: severity of shortages, budget

availability, market competitiveness, immediacy of impact, specific shortages, addressing

certain issues. If the school or district is facing severe, immediate teacher shortages,

particularly in critical subject areas or specific school buildings, financial incentives offer

the quickest way to attract new candidates (Liu & Li, 2025). Financial incentives require

direct monetary investment. If there is significant budget flexibility or access to grants for

this purpose, it makes them a more feasible immediate solution. If neighboring districts

or alternative professions offer significantly higher compensation, financial incentives

become critical to compete for talent. While not a long-term standalone solution,

financial incentives can provide a more immediate boost to recruitment numbers

compared to the slower, cultural shifts required by leadership development or

comprehensive workload reduction. If the problem is concentrated in particular subjects

(e.g., science, math, special education) or schools that are exceptionally difficult to staff,

targeted financial incentives are highly effective in directing talent where it's most

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needed. Sometimes, teachers might be on the fence about leaving due to various stressors.

A financial incentive can be the deciding factor that encourages them to stay, especially if

it addresses immediate personal financial concerns. While powerful for attracting and

initially retaining teachers, research suggests that financial incentives alone are rarely

sufficient for long-term retention especially if working conditions remain poor (Elacqua

et al., 2025). They are most effective when part of a broader strategy that also addresses

teacher workload, support, and leadership.

The faculty member also asked the following question, “Can you elaborate on the

specific strategies used in mentorship programs and professional learning communities to

address teacher attrition” during the oral defense. This question was aimed at addressing

the role of the teacher mentorship programs and PLCs in influencing the rate of teacher

retention. The question enabled the researcher to offer enlightenment to the various

strategies to this problem. Both mentorship programs and PLCs are crucial for teacher

retention by fostering support, professional growth, and a sense of belonging (Johnson,

2022). Mentorship programs provide personalized support and guidance, skill

development and professional growth, and integration and community building. Pairing

new teachers with experienced, effective mentors who provide individualized guidance

on pedagogical skills, classroom management, curriculum, and navigating school culture.

Mentors help new teachers cope with the stresses and challenges of the profession,

reducing feelings of isolation and overwhelmingness that often lead to early attrition.

They provide a "safety net" for new educators. Establishing a clear boundary between

mentorship and teacher evaluation fosters trust, allowing mentees to openly share

struggles and seek honest feedback without fear of negative repercussions. Mentors

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demonstrate effective teaching strategies, classroom management techniques, and data

collection methods. Providing structured opportunities for mentees to observe their

mentors and receive constructive, actionable feedback on their own teaching practice

(Kamper, 2023). Guiding new teachers in lesson planning, assessment design, and

adapting curriculum to diverse student needs. Mentors can share strategies for managing

workload, prioritizing tasks, and maintaining a healthy work-life balance, which is crucial

for preventing burnout. Mentors introduce new teachers to colleagues, school resources,

and community networks, helping them feel more connected and rooted in the school.

Mentorship is often part of a broader induction program (like MSCS's New Teacher

Academy) that provides comprehensive training and support from the start.

Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) provide collaborative problem-

solving, continuous professional development, and building a culture of support and

shared responsibility. PLCs provide a forum for teachers to collectively identify and

address common challenges, such as student behavioral issues, curriculum

implementation difficulties, or specific instructional needs (Waters, 2019). This reduces

feelings of isolation and helps teachers realize they are not alone in their struggles. By

working together to solve problems and improve student outcomes, teachers develop a

stronger sense of collective efficacy – the belief that their collective efforts can make a

difference. This boosts morale and job satisfaction. PLCs facilitate peer-to-peer learning,

where teachers share best practices, observe each other's classrooms, and provide

constructive feedback (Mydin et al., 2024). This is often more relevant and impactful

than traditional, one-off professional development sessions. Effective PLCs engage in

cycles of inquiry, where teachers analyze student data, develop strategies, implement

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them, and then reflect on the results (Long et al., 2024). This continuous learning process

leads to sustained improvement in teaching practice. PLCs are typically centered around

improving specific student learning outcomes, which gives teachers a shared purpose and

a clear focus for their collaborative work. Regular, structured collaboration within PLCs

combats the isolation that can lead to teacher attrition, especially for new teachers. A

well-functioning PLC fosters an environment of trust and psychological safety, where

teachers feel comfortable taking risks, admitting mistakes, and seeking help without

judgment. Teachers in PLCs feel a greater sense of ownership over school-wide goals and

their own professional growth, leading to increased commitment to the school and the

profession. Both mentorship and PLCs are critical components of a comprehensive

strategy for teacher retention, creating a supportive ecosystem that nurtures professional

growth and well-being.

Part 9: Conclusion

Contribution to the Field

The concepts of teacher mentorship and professional learning communities

(PLCs) are deeply relevant to higher education, particularly within the field of education,

as they offer robust strategies to address the critical issue of teacher retention. Higher

education institutions, especially those with teacher preparation programs, play a pivotal

role in shaping the next generation of educators. By integrating strong mentorship

programs and fostering PLC models, these institutions can significantly contribute to the

long-term success and persistence of their graduates in the teaching profession, thereby

adding substantial value to the broader field of education.

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Teacher mentorship programs, when effectively implemented, serve as crucial

bridges between theoretical knowledge gained in university settings and the practical

realities of the classroom. These programs often pair novice teachers with experienced

veterans, providing new educators with essential guidance and support during their

formative years. Such support can significantly alleviate the feelings of isolation and

overwhelm that often lead to early career attrition (Radford, 2017). Research indicates

that new teachers who receive robust mentoring demonstrate higher job satisfaction and

an increased likelihood of remaining in the profession, suggesting that mentorship is a

powerful tool for boosting teacher self-efficacy and commitment (Han, 2023; McGee et

al., 2023). This alignment with higher education is evident as universities can either

directly facilitate these mentorships through their alumni networks or by collaborating

with school districts to ensure their graduates receive adequate induction support, thus

improving the return on investment in teacher training.

Professional Learning Communities further enhance teacher retention by creating

a collaborative environment where educators can continuously learn, share best practices,

and collectively solve problems. In higher education, this translates to developing a

culture of continuous professional development that extends beyond initial certification.

PLCs foster a sense of shared responsibility for student learning and encourage reflective

dialogue, allowing teachers to grow in their practice and feel supported by their peers

(Frontiers, 2021). When future teachers are exposed to and participate in PLC models

during their university training, they are better prepared to seek out and contribute to such

communities in their professional lives. This cultivates an adaptive and resilient

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workforce, which is vital for navigating the evolving demands of the education sector and

reducing burnout (Martin, 2023).

The value added to the field of education by these two strategies is considerable.

High teacher turnover incurs significant costs, both financial and educational, impacting

student achievement and creating instability within school systems (American University,

2022). By promoting teacher mentorship, higher education directly contributes to

stabilizing the teaching workforce, ensuring that more qualified and effective educators

remain in classrooms. Similarly, advocating for and preparing future teachers to engage

in PLCs helps to build strong, self-improving school cultures. This leads to more

consistent and high-quality instruction for students, as well as a more supportive and

intellectually stimulating environment for teachers, ultimately strengthening the entire

educational ecosystem (Frontiers, 2025).

Recommendations

In the event this Strategic Research Project is successfully implemented, several

key recommendations would emerge for educational institutions and policymakers.

Firstly, a paramount recommendation will be the formalization and substantial resourcing

of comprehensive mentorship programs. This will involve establishing clear guidelines

for mentor selection, ensuring mentors are experienced and effective educators, and

providing them with specialized training in coaching and supportive feedback techniques

(NIET, 2021). Furthermore, dedicated time and compensation will be allocated for

mentors and mentees to meet regularly, observe each other's practice, and engage in

reflective discussions, as the effectiveness of mentorship is strongly linked to consistent,

high-quality interactions (Red Rover, 2025). This structured support system will be vital

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in alleviating the initial challenges faced by novice teachers, fostering a sense of

belonging, and significantly increasing their likelihood of remaining in the profession

(McGee et al., 2023).

Secondly, the project's findings will likely advocate for the systematic integration

and cultivation of robust Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) across all schools

and districts. This will entail providing ongoing professional development to facilitate

effective PLC practices, focusing on collaborative inquiry, data-driven decision-making,

and shared leadership. Schools will be encouraged to create dedicated time within the

school day for PLCs to meet, allowing teachers to engage in meaningful collaboration,

share instructional strategies, and collectively address student learning needs (Frontiers,

2025). Empowering teachers with a professional-like authority in school decisions,

particularly within team-based structures, has been shown to reduce turnover

significantly, underscoring the importance of PLCs in fostering a sense of agency and

shared ownership among educators (Penn GSE, 2025). These well-structured PLCs will

serve as critical avenues for continuous professional growth, combating teacher isolation,

and building a supportive collegial environment that directly contributes to improved

teacher retention rates.

Final Conclusions

Reflecting on the process of a strategic research project highlights the intricate

and multifaceted nature of teacher retention, emphasizing that no single intervention acts

in isolation. The project's implementation would underscore the critical need for a holistic

approach, recognizing that factors such as administrative support, school culture, and

opportunities for professional growth are deeply interconnected (Sorenson & Ladd,

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2020). The process would also reveal the importance of both formal structures, like

planned mentorship programs, and informal networks, such as organic professional

relationships that emerge within supportive school environments (Carr, 2024). This

complexity would necessitate a flexible research design, capable of capturing the nuances

of these interactions and their collective influence on a teacher's decision to remain in the

profession.

Upon the implementation of such a project, the possible findings and results

would likely reinforce the significant positive correlation between effective mentorship,

active participation in PLCs, and improved teacher retention rates. One would anticipate

that new teachers who receive high-quality, sustained mentorship would report higher

levels of self-efficacy, reduced feelings of isolation, and a greater sense of belonging

within their school communities, all of which are critical for staying in the profession

(Bowman, 2014; McGee et al., 2023). Furthermore, the project would likely demonstrate

that schools fostering vibrant PLCs, characterized by collaborative inquiry and shared

leadership, experience lower teacher turnover. These findings would suggest that PLCs

provide vital avenues for continuous professional development, foster a sense of

collective efficacy, and empower teachers to address challenges collaboratively, thereby

enhancing their job satisfaction and commitment (Carr, 2024; Luesse et al., 2022).

Ultimately, the project's results would provide compelling evidence for policymakers and

school leaders to invest in and prioritize these strategies as integral components of a

comprehensive teacher retention framework.

137

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Appendix A

Mission Statement

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Mission Statement

Getting all students ready for success in education, governance, and existence.

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Appendix B

Vision Statement

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Vision Statement

The premier school district will be our district. It will attract a diverse student population

as well as efficient teachers, leaders, and staff.

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Appendix C

Value Statement

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Value Statement

MSCS treasures a diverse and comprehensive place of work, superior sources for

students, and a culture of high opportunity.

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Appendix D

Action Plan

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Action Plan

Action Step Responsible

Party

Start

Date

End

Date

Resources

Needed Outcome

Needs

Assessment

Planning

Committee

Sept 1,

2025

Oct 15,

2025

Survey

software,

facilitators

Data-driven

stakeholder

insight

Develop

Partnerships

Outreach

Coordinator

Nov 1,

2025

Dec 1,

2025

MOUs,

contacts,

strategic

mapping

Signed

partnership

agreements

Enhance

Infrastructure

IT &

Innovation

Team

Jan 1,

2026

Feb 15,

2026

Software

licenses,

hardware

upgrades

Fully equipped

telepractice

system

Faculty &

Student

Training

Faculty

Development

Officer

Feb 2,

2026

March

15, 2026

LMS platform,

workshop

materials

80% completion

training rate

Monitoring and

Evaluating

Implementation

Evaluation

Lead

April

1, 2026

June

30, 2026

KPIs, analytics

dashboard

Final report and

adjustment plan

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Appendix E

PowerPoint Presentation

172

PowerPoint Presentation

173

174

175

176

177

178

179

180

181

182

183

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Appendix F

Peer Review Questions

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Peer Review Questions

Student #1

1. How can school leaders use mentorship programs to grow future teacher leaders and

reduce turnover in high-need schools? High-quality mentorship programs are a

powerful tool for increasing teacher retention and effectiveness, especially in high-

need schools. School leaders can leverage them by focusing on instructional

improvement. Mentoring should have a clear purpose: enhancing teaching and

learning. This includes investing in time, training, and evidence-based instructional

rubrics. Selecting and supporting effective mentors. Choose mentors with proven

expertise, similar grade and subject area knowledge, and strong coaching skills.

Provide high-quality training and ongoing support for mentors, potentially including

compensation and professional growth opportunities. Providing a longer timeframe for

mentoring. Research suggests that sustained mentoring over multiple years can

maximize its impact on student achievement and teacher retention. Integrating

mentoring into school and district systems. Ensure mentoring is not a check-the-box

activity but a core part of professional development. This might involve reduced

workloads and guaranteed release time for both mentors and mentees. Grounding

mentoring in student outcomes equip mentors to be instructional coaches who help

new teachers develop a student-centered approach, focusing on how instructional

changes impact student learning. Recognizing and elevating mentor roles create

differentiated job descriptions for teachers, mentors, teacher-leaders, and instructional

coaches to communicate the value of mentoring.

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2. What leadership practices are most effective for building trust and retaining early-

career and special education teachers? Building trust is crucial for retaining teachers,

particularly early-career and special education teachers. Effective leadership practices

include open, two-way communication while sharing decisions, policies, and changes

transparently. Actively listen to teachers' concerns, provide clear invitations for

communication (e.g., open office hours), and practice empathy. Collaborative

decision-making involve teachers in decisions that directly impact their work. This

fosters a culture of mutual respect and trust. Investing in resources and professional

development ensure teachers have the support they need, including access to

technology, relevant resources, and up-to-date teaching materials. For special

education teachers, this also means supporting their unique workload and providing

targeted professional development. Visibility and accessibility allows one to be present

in the school community and interact with teachers regularly. Get to know them as

individuals, not just as teachers. Clear, actionable, and constructive feedback assists in

providing specific feedback relevant to teachers' needs, highlighting successes and

areas for growth with concrete examples. Celebrating achievements publicly

acknowledge and celebrate teachers' accomplishments to boost morale and reinforce

that their hard work is valued. Fostering a positive school climate as it creates a safe,

orderly, and respectful atmosphere where teachers feel supported, can collaborate, and

are not isolated. This includes encouraging innovation and risk-taking For special

education teachers, in particular, leaders should aim to build their confidence and self-

efficacy as leaders of special education programs.

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3. How can leaders make sure professional learning communities (PLCs) support district-

wide strategic goals, school goals, and student success? To ensure PLCs effectively

support strategic goals and student success, leaders should establish a clear purpose

and goals. PLCs should be structured, collaborative groups with clear norms and goals,

focused on improving teaching and learning outcomes for students. They are not just

staff meetings. Align with district and school visions. The PLC work should directly

connect to the district's strategic goals and the school's vision. This might involve a

district guiding coalition to ensure alignment and build shared knowledge. Focus on

student learning and data. Keep every PLC conversation anchored in student needs and

outcomes. Use classroom evidence (test scores, student work, participation patterns) to

make informed decisions and identify trends. Promote collective inquiry and action

research: Encourage PLCs to engage in ongoing cycles of inquiry and action research,

analyzing data, setting goals, learning collaboratively, and implementing and adjusting

practices. Provide strong leadership support. Leaders should distinguish PLCs from

other meetings, make them a high priority, attend meetings, observe, listen, and

empower teachers to lead their team meetings. Share leadership. Rotate meeting

facilitation and encourage all members to lead discussions or data dives. This

empowers educators and gives them a stake in their learning goals. Create a culture of

continuous improvement: PLCs should be a space where teachers feel safe to take

risks, try new strategies, and engage in productive conflict to build better ideas and

stronger teams. Provide necessary resources and structures. Offer tools like meeting

agendas, SMART goals templates, and common assessment protocols. Consider using

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digital tools for collaboration (e.g., Google Workspace). Ensure consistent and

sustained effort. The success of PLCs depends on intentional, sustained effort, not just

one-off activities.

Student #2

1. How does your research demonstrate the connection between effective teacher

mentorship programs and long-term improvements in teacher retention, particularly in

under-resourced or high-turnover schools? Research consistently demonstrates a

positive link between effective teacher mentorship programs and improved teacher

retention, especially for new teachers and those in challenging environments. Studies

indicate that teachers who participate in mentorship programs report higher job

satisfaction and commitment. This is particularly crucial in under-resourced or high-

turnover schools where new teachers often face isolation and a "sink or swim"

environment. Mentorship can provide the crucial support needed to navigate these

challenges. Many studies show that beginning teachers who receive some form of

induction, including mentorship, have higher retention rates. For instance, some

programs have seen increased retention among new teachers who participated in

mentorship for at least two years. Teacher attrition is a significant issue, with 40-50%

of new teachers leaving the profession within the first five years, and a lack of

adequate support is a major contributing factor. Mentorship not only helps teachers

stay but also helps them become more effective. Research shows that mentored

teachers tend to perform better in various aspects of teaching, such as classroom

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management, lesson planning, and student questioning. This, in turn, can lead to

positive impacts on student achievement, with some studies showing higher student

scores or gains in classrooms taught by mentored teachers. This is especially relevant

in under-resourced schools where teacher quality has a profound impact on student

outcomes. Mentorship programs show promise in supporting teachers of color by

addressing unique challenges they may face. Recruiting and retaining diverse teachers

benefits all students, particularly those historically underserved. Effective mentorship

programs often include: aligning mentors and mentees, frequent communication,

celebrated excellence, focusing on trust and growth rather than performance

evaluation, sufficient duration and intensity, and administrator involvement.

2. In what ways did systems thinking and transformative leadership principles shape your

design and implementation of professional learning communities within your proposed

model? Systems thinking and transformative leadership are crucial in shaping effective

Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) for teacher workforce sustainability.

Systems thinking encourages a holistic view of the school environment, recognizing

that all components, including teachers, students, leadership, community, and

curriculum, are interconnected. Instead of isolated interventions, PLCs designed with

systems thinking consider how changes in one area will impact others. This approach

helps identify the various inputs, forces, and dynamics that create current outcomes

within the school system, allowing PLCs to address root causes of issues affecting

teacher sustainability rather than just symptoms. By understanding how positive and

negative forces interact, systems thinking informs the design of PLCs that stimulate

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healthy disequilibrium for growth, leading to more sustainable improvements in

teacher practice and retention. It also promotes shared understanding among

stakeholders about the system's components and dynamics, fostering a collaborative

approach to problem-solving and improvement within PLCs. Ultimately, systems

thinking guides PLCs to focus on building long-term capacity within the school to

adapt and improve, which is essential for teacher workforce sustainability, rather than

just providing short-term fixes. Transformative leadership redefines traditional top-

down structures, empowering teachers to actively participate in shaping their

professional development within PLCs, which fosters a sense of ownership,

collaboration, and shared responsibility. Transformative leaders cultivate a school

culture where reciprocal empowerment is nurtured, leading to increased teacher well-

being, job satisfaction, and reduced burnout, as teachers who feel valued are more

likely to collaborate, share best practices, and engage in professional development

willingly. Furthermore, these leaders inspire and guide PLCs to develop a shared

vision for student success and collective responsibility for achieving it, strengthening

the PLC and motivating teachers to work together. This leadership style emphasizes

individual and collective professional learning as a core element of PLCs, ensuring

that educators continuously develop their skills and knowledge. Transformative

leaders also act as catalysts and enablers, encouraging innovation and empowering

widespread collaboration and action within PLCs to shift the system towards

sustainability. A key aspect of this leadership is building trust, respect, and support

among teachers and leaders, which is fundamental for effective PLCs.

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3. What specific data indicators or feedback mechanisms will you use to evaluate the

effectiveness of your mentorship and PLC strategies in promoting teacher workforce

sustainability and equitable student outcomes? To evaluate mentorship and PLC

strategies for teacher sustainability and equitable student outcomes, a mix of

quantitative and qualitative data is crucial. For teacher workforce sustainability,

quantitative measures include tracking teacher retention, attrition, demographics,

participation in programs, absence rates, and career advancement. Qualitative data can

be gathered through teacher surveys, interviews, mentor/mentee feedback, PLC

meeting feedback, focus groups, classroom observations, and administrator insights.

For equitable student outcomes, quantitative analysis involves student achievement

and growth data (disaggregated by demographics), attendance rates, discipline

referrals, and course completion/graduation rates. Qualitative feedback can be

obtained through student and parent/community surveys/interviews, analysis of

student work, equity audits, and classroom walkthroughs. Systematically analyzing

these data points offers a comprehensive understanding for continuous improvement.

Student #3

1. How challenging was it to identify the problem statement for your strategic research?

Identifying a precise problem statement for strategic research into teacher retention is

complex due to the multifaceted nature of the issue. Teacher retention is influenced by

a wide array of interconnected factors such as leadership, compensation, workload,

and school culture, making it difficult to pinpoint the most critical area. The specific

reasons for attrition also vary significantly across different contexts, like urban versus

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rural schools, meaning a universal problem statement is often not effective. It's crucial

to distinguish between symptoms, such as high turnover, and underlying root causes

like inadequate support or low salaries, to ensure the research addresses fundamental

issues. Furthermore, gathering and interpreting localized data to accurately define the

problem can be challenging, and differing perspectives among stakeholders (teachers,

administrators, policymakers) can complicate reaching a consensus. Finally, the

dynamic nature of influencing factors, which can shift due to external events or policy

changes, necessitates continuous re-evaluation of the problem statement.

2. What is the replacement rate for teachers in the district? A 2021 Chalkbeat article

revealed a significant teacher turnover challenge in Memphis Shelby County Schools,

with over half of new teachers leaving within five years. At the start of the 2021

school year, the district faced 63 teacher vacancies, a reduction from 125 the prior

year. While a precise overall teacher replacement rate isn't available, these figures

underscore a substantial churn, particularly among new educators.

3. Did you at any point during your research consider studying the school as opposed to

the school district? There is an indication that studying teacher retention at the school

level, as opposed to solely at the district level, is a recognized and valuable approach

in educational research. However, I chose to include information about the school

district oppose to the school based on the directives of the assignment and privacy

matters such as disclosing the school’s direct information. Nevertheless, focusing on a

single school or a small group of schools allows for a more in-depth qualitative

analysis of unique school-level factors, leadership practices, and specific challenges

that might not be apparent when looking at broad district-wide data. Both district-level

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and school-level studies offer different but complementary insights into the complex

issue of teacher retention.

Student #4

1. Having high turnover rates within your organization, what type of recruitment plan you

feel will be feasible to implement aside from peer tutoring and video simulation recall?

To combat high teacher turnover, schools need a comprehensive recruitment strategy

that goes beyond peer tutoring and video simulation. Key feasible approaches include

"Grow Your Own" programs that partner with local institutions to cultivate future

educators, targeted recruitment efforts at universities and career fairs, and actively

engaging alumni. Schools should also emphasize their positive culture, showcase

professional development opportunities, and strive for competitive compensation and

benefits. Importantly, recruitment must address retention by setting clear expectations,

highlighting support systems, and helping new teachers integrate into the community.

2. Do you think your school administration team need to execute a stricter behavioral

policy to restructure students' reactions? Whether a stricter behavioral policy is

necessary for student reactions is complex and context-dependent. While clearer,

consistently applied policies can provide structure, simply making them "stricter" risks

increasing suspensions, damaging relationships, and failing to teach essential self-

regulation skills, often disproportionately affecting certain student groups. A more

effective approach prioritizes restorative practices and Positive Behavioral

Interventions and Supports (PBIS), focusing on prevention, proactive teaching of

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positive behaviors, building strong relationships, and addressing the root causes of

misbehavior.

3. Who do you impose the problem exist from at your school, teachers or other faculty

staff members, or administration? It is inaccurate and unhelpful to pinpoint the

problem of challenges in elementary schools, such as high turnover or student

behavior, on a single group. These issues are almost always systemic, stemming from

interconnected dynamics among teachers, other faculty/staff, and administration, as

well as external factors. Instead of assigning blame, a productive approach involves all

stakeholders collaboratively analyzing the specific school context and identifying how

various factors contribute to the challenges, then working together to implement

solutions.

Student #5

1. Could you please provide a clearer comparison and contrast of your four proposed

solutions, highlighting their unique features? The four proposed solutions for teacher

retention—comprehensive mentorship, reducing teacher workload and addressing

caseload equity, promoting leadership stability and distributed leadership, and targeted

financial incentives—each offer unique features and mechanisms. Comprehensive

mentorship provides personalized, non-evaluative support primarily to new teachers,

building confidence and reducing early career frustration. Reducing teacher workload

focuses on immediate teacher well-being by reallocating tasks and ensuring equitable

distribution of responsibilities, alleviating stress and improving morale for all teachers.

Promoting leadership stability and distributed leadership aims for a positive school

culture by empowering teachers and sharing decision-making, increasing job

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satisfaction and commitment over the medium to long term. Lastly, targeted financial

incentives are direct monetary compensations designed to attract new talent to high-

needs areas and retain current teachers by overcoming financial disincentives, offering

immediate recruitment impact. While financial incentives are direct and market-

driven, the other solutions are more indirect, improving teaching conditions to

influence retention. All four are proactive in building capacity, though workload

reduction and financial incentives can also be reactive responses to crises. Importantly,

these solutions are complementary; for example, financial incentives are more

effective when combined with improved working conditions and a supportive school

culture.

2. What was the rationale behind your selection of the final solution, and what key factors

influenced your decision to prioritize it over the others? Targeted financial incentives

and recruitment strategies are primarily introduced to address supply-side issues in the

teacher workforce and directly influence teacher choice. These incentives help attract

talent by bridging compensation disparities with other professions and alleviating

student loan debt, making teaching a more financially appealing career, particularly for

high-needs areas like STEM or special education. For retention in specific contexts,

higher pay or bonuses acknowledge the increased demands of challenging

environments, reducing "shopping around" for other opportunities and combating

"brain drain" to better-resourced districts. Prioritization of these incentives often

depends on the severity of teacher shortages, budget availability, market

competitiveness for talent, the need for immediate recruitment impact, and the

concentration of shortages in specific subjects or schools. However, it's crucial to note

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that financial incentives are most effective as part of a broader strategy that also

addresses working conditions and support, as they rarely suffice for long-term

retention on their own.

3. You identified Systems Theory as one of the guiding theoretical frameworks for your

project, could you elaborate on how this theory informs or supports your chosen

strategy? A Systems Theory framework is invaluable for understanding teacher

retention because it views the school as a complex, interconnected system where every

component influences the others. For comprehensive mentorship, systems theory

highlights how effective mentorship creates a positive feedback loop, integrating new

teachers into the school's social and human capital and stabilizing the workforce. For

reducing teacher workload, it reveals that workload is not an isolated issue but

influenced by various systemic factors, and excessive workload forms a negative

feedback loop leading to burnout and attrition. Promoting leadership stability and

distributed leadership aligns with systems theory by viewing leadership as a crucial

control mechanism; distributed leadership, in particular, enhances the system's

resilience and adaptability by decentralizing decision-making. Finally, for targeted

financial incentives, systems theory acknowledges the school as an open system

interacting with its external labor market, where incentives act as direct inputs to

attract teachers. Overall, this framework encourages analyzing the entire system,

identifying leverage points, understanding feedback loops, and developing

comprehensive, interconnected strategies rather than isolated interventions for

sustainable teacher retention.

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Student #6

1. What strategy will be used to specifically address teacher attrition in Memphis Shelby

County Schools? MSCS addresses teacher attrition through a multi-faceted approach,

emphasizing both recruitment and retention. A significant investment in increased

teacher pay aims to boost starting and maximum salaries, making teaching more

competitive. The district also focuses on an enhanced work environment and support

by intending to provide classroom and administrative support, promote wellness

initiatives through SCS Cares, and address heavy workloads. For professional

development and induction, MSCS launched a successful New Teacher Academy for

new hires and is developing no-cost career pathways, including "grow-your-own"

initiatives, to retain educators. The district actively listens to teacher feedback via

organizations like Teach901 to inform its strategies, with survey results highlighting

the importance of school mission, leadership, and positive perception of Memphis.

2. How does the district plan to overcome staffing shortages, particularly in high-poverty

schools and specialized education classes? MSCS tackles staffing shortages,

particularly in high-poverty schools and specialized education classes, with targeted

recruitment efforts, including diversifying pipelines beyond local areas and enhancing

relocation packages. They specifically aim to attract more Hispanic teachers and

principals, and address gaps in math and science. Grow-Your-Own initiatives offer no-

cost certification pathways for existing staff, creating a familiar teacher pipeline.

While some roles face budget adjustments, the initial hiring of specialized education

assistants aimed to reduce K-2 teacher-student ratios. Prioritizing teacher pay is crucial

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for making challenging roles and schools more attractive, and broader efforts to

improve the overall school environment, administrative support, and discipline are key

to retaining teachers in these demanding settings.

3. Can you elaborate on the specific strategies used in mentorship programs and

professional learning communities to address teacher attrition? Both mentorship

programs and Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) are vital for teacher

retention by fostering support and professional growth. Mentorship programs offer

personalized support and guidance through one-on-one relationships, providing

emotional support and a non-evaluative space for new teachers to develop skills,

model best practices, and receive feedback, ultimately aiding in their integration and

community building within the school. PLCs facilitate collaborative problem-solving,

allowing teachers to collectively address shared challenges, which builds collective

efficacy and reduces isolation. They also provide continuous professional development

through peer learning and inquiry-based cycles focused on student outcomes, fostering

a culture of support, trust, and shared responsibility, all of which combat attrition by

enhancing teacher well-being and commitment.

Student #7

1. How might integrating mentorship and professional learning communities with broader

socio-ecological supports, such as community resource hubs or partnerships with local

mental health agencies, amplify their effectiveness in mitigating teacher burnout and

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turnover, particularly in high-poverty or special education contexts? Integrating

mentorship and Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) with broader socio-

ecological supports, such as community resource hubs and mental health agencies,

significantly enhances teacher retention by addressing the multifaceted causes of

burnout beyond classroom demands. This approach provides holistic well-being

support (e.g., for financial, housing, or mental health needs), reducing the emotional

labor on teachers and freeing up their bandwidth. It strengthens mentorship by

allowing mentors to refer mentees to external professional help, building their

capacity, and enhances PLC impact by enabling collaborative problem-solving that

extends beyond school walls, connecting teachers and students to vital community

resources. This integration ultimately fosters a culture of care, signals support for

teacher well-being, and creates a more sustainable professional life for educators.

2. In what ways could adaptive leadership structures and distributed decision-making

models be leveraged to build greater trust and collective efficacy among educators,

thereby strengthening retention efforts beyond traditional mentoring programs?

Adaptive leadership and distributed decision-making models fundamentally build

greater trust and collective efficacy among educators, thereby strengthening teacher

retention. Building trust occurs through transparency, authentic listening, valuing

teacher input, and sharing vulnerability in confronting challenges. This ensures

fairness and equity in decision-making processes. Fostering collective efficacy is

achieved by empowering teachers with genuine agency over their practice and school

direction, promoting shared responsibility for solutions, leveraging diverse expertise

within the staff, and encouraging continuous learning through "small wins." This

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approach boosts retention beyond traditional mentoring by intrinsically motivating

teachers through a sense of being valued and capable, reducing isolation and burnout,

fostering professional growth as a collective endeavor, and creating a pipeline for

future leadership roles within the school.

3. What different evaluation frameworks, incorporating both quantitative indicators and

qualitative metrics, could more effectively assess the long-term impact of mentorship

and PLC interventions on teacher workforce sustainability? To assess the long-term

impact of mentorship and PLC interventions on teacher workforce sustainability,

several evaluation frameworks can be employed. The Logic Model Approach maps

inputs, activities, outputs, and short-to-long-term outcomes, using both quantitative

(e.g., retention rates, participation) and qualitative data (e.g., teacher narratives, focus

groups) to show how interventions lead to sustained change. A Return on Investment

(ROI) Framework attempts to quantify financial benefits against costs, justifying

continued investment by measuring reduced recruitment and onboarding expenses.

Mixed Methods Evaluation triangulates quantitative and qualitative data to provide

comprehensive insights into "what," "how," and "why" changes occur. Finally, a

Participatory Evaluation Framework actively involves stakeholders in the evaluation

design and interpretation, fostering ownership and ensuring relevance. Key

considerations for long-term impact include collecting baseline data, conducting

longitudinal studies, utilizing control groups, understanding contextual factors, and

tracking program sustainability.