A positive school culture and climate are key ingredients to not only attracting school staff, but keeping them. So, too, are ensuring that staff concerns are heard and giving staff members the necessary professional support to thrive.
David Arencibia and the administrative team at Colleyville Middle School, in Colleyville, Texas, have done just that, according to some staff members who鈥檝e turned down lucrative job offers from other schools and districts.
Here鈥檚 what some staff members have said about why they are staying at Colleyville Middle School.
Lauren Jones, the school鈥檚 head band director, has built an award-winning program, with the 7th and 8th grade program picking up regional and national honors.
It鈥檚 not surprising that other schools have tried to recruit Jones, now in her 11th year at the school.
She loves the support from school administrators, but also cited the buy-in she gets from parents and students as a major reason why she has no plans to leave. Money, she said, is not even part of the consideration.
鈥淚 love working with my co-workers and I love the support that the parents and the kids and the administrators give me,鈥� Jones said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 hard to be interested in starting over somewhere when you feel like you鈥檝e developed and found an environment that works really well.鈥�
Aaron Arroyo has been a theater teacher for seven years, two of them at Colleyville Middle School.
He turned down an offer from a private school this year, in part because of the investments in the theater program from the school and district. The private school position would have paid about $15,000 more annually.
Fine arts, he said, are often relegated to the sidelines, especially in Texas, where football is king.
But the school and district have poured money into the program鈥攁dding funds for a new stage, lighting, and other upgrades. They鈥檝e also allowed him to continue to take local acting gigs and have paid for professional development opportunities so he can deepen his instructional expertise.
鈥淭hey are not just invested in the program itself, but in me and the students, which is more than any educator, especially right now, can ultimately ask for,鈥� Arroyo said. 鈥淚 am not just a warm body in the classroom. I am educator. I am valued, especially as a fine arts educator, which can be undervalued in many instances.鈥�
Professional support is important to Stephanie McAvoy, who鈥檚 taught English at Colleyville for the last three years. She values the backing from the school鈥檚 principal and the high expectations that come from the administration.
鈥淰oice is really big on our campus,鈥� said McAvoy, whose commute is about one hour each way. 鈥淪o, it鈥檚 always, 鈥楬ow can we be better?鈥� If I were to come to Dr. [Arencibia] and say, 鈥楢s the department lead, I am noticing we need this, that, or that,鈥� or 鈥楬ow can we do this? Here鈥檚 my end goal. Here is my solution,鈥� he is going to be like, 鈥楪o do it. I support you.鈥� 鈥�
The principal sets the tone for the nurturing environment, she said.
鈥淎s a principal you have to be transparent, 100 percent,鈥� said McAvoy. 鈥淵ou have to really build up your staff. You have to believe in what you want your staff to believe in, and you need to be 100 percent about it.鈥�
