Frontline Blog

From the students who bring vibrancy and energy while learning about the world around them, to the staff that ensures they’re in a healthy learning environment, human connection is at the very core of education.

The teacher shortage isn’t anything new – and neither are the day-to-day challenges that come alongside it. This widespread issue has become even more glaring in recent years. School districts are experiencing high turnover rates — which can lead to a massive interruption of student learning.

The Frontline Research and Learning Institute recently surveyed district and school administrators regarding their organization’s past, present, and future focus of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I).

The country has been rightly concerned about how much the pandemic has impacted student learning. As schools closed and classes went online, the effects were felt nationwide. Failure rates and dropout rates rose while standardized test scores and attendance and graduation rates fell, despite the remarkable efforts of committed and talented teachers and administrators.

Some people who previously tested positive for COVID-19 are now showing symptoms like tiredness, fatigue, difficulty thinking, concentrating, headache, changes in smell, taste, dizziness, or fast beating or pounding heart, usually appearing about a month after that initial positive test. This condition is being referred to as “Long COVID.”

There has been a lot of recent discussion in K-12 spheres, including in past Frontline blogs, about the ongoing teacher shortage. Not only does the problem of large numbers of job openings with limited numbers of applicants available to fill them apply to teaching positions, but it also persists for mental-health-related positions.

After enduring one of the most difficult times in the history of U.S. education, what makes now the best time to examine your current approach to human capital management (HCM) and opportunities to improve?

When you think about inefficient processes, you might think of the implications for your department or even student learning, but what about the impact on you?