Changing Jobs Is Good for the Profession — It Needs to Be Easier
In this video, Dr. Justin Baeder discusses why teacher and administrator mobility benefits the profession, and why barriers to changing schools or districts should be reduced.
Key Takeaways
- Job mobility improves the profession - Educators who can move freely find better fits, bringing fresh perspectives to new schools
- Current barriers are too high - Transferring credentials, losing seniority, and navigating bureaucracy discourage healthy movement
- Schools benefit from fresh talent - New hires bring energy and ideas that can revitalize stagnant programs
Transcript
I think being able to change jobs is one of our most important tools for improving the profession because people vote with their feet on important working conditions, right?
When working conditions are not acceptable, one of the best ways to get them to improve is to leave and go somewhere where those conditions are the way you want them to be.
And yet districts often make that difficult by placing rules around when people can change jobs, right?
Like you might have to commit to your contract for the new year by a certain date in May or sometime in the spring before a lot of the jobs are actually posted.
And some districts even...
fine you or go after your certificate if you take another job after that, which of course may be the only time that that job is actually posted.
So I think we really have to work to improve mobility in our profession.
I think it is in the best interest of everybody if people can move to schools where they are a good fit, where the working conditions are amenable, where it's convenient for them to get there.
And one of the ways you can do that is to simply make yourself a more competitive candidate.
If you get good at applying for and interviewing for jobs, you're going to find many more options in your favor versus if you just stay with one job your entire career.
And I know a lot of people like to stay with their district.
It's threatening.
Sometimes you get put back on the salary schedule if you change districts.
But if you need to do that, here's the thing.
I would rather you change jobs than leave the profession entirely, right?
It is much better to keep the same number of people in education and have them move around to places that are a better fit for them than for people to burn out and leave the profession entirely.
So I feel very strongly about this.
And I want to let you know I'm doing a webinar on Black Friday, November 24th, called Liftoff, launching your 2024 job search that is intended for administrators.
So if you're looking for an admin job, whether you're a new administrator or looking to make a lateral move or get a promotion in the admin world, That's my primary audience.
But really, if you're looking for any kind of new job in education, I think you'll find the strategies and tools in that training valuable.
So go to principalcenter.com slash liftoff and register for that webinar.
And I will see you there.
Everything is free.
I'm going to give you as much as I can.
This is Black Friday, so the day after Thanksgiving.
We'll wrap up in time for you to still get some shopping done, or you can come back after you've done some early morning shopping if you're one of those people.
But the webinar is Liftoff, principalcenter.com slash liftoff, and I will see you there.