Most district leaders already know teacher retention starts with trust. The challenge isn’t awareness, it’s scale.

You’re listening, but not everyone feels heard. You’re giving teachers a voice (... surveys, committees, listening sessions…), but teachers don’t feel their feedback is reflected in decisions. And despite all the effort, turnover remains high.

In a global study* of 280K educators across 55 countries, the United States ranked among the highest for teacher attrition. Only one in four teachers believes their profession is valued in society. But “undervalued” sounds clinical. What teachers are living is far more human: a slow, quiet exit from purpose. When teachers feel invisible, it shows up as lower engagement, higher burnout, and smaller applicant pools.

So how do you rebuild trust across an entire system in a way that interrupts the turnover trend? Some district leaders are finding answers through a structured, scalable approach that makes teachers feel seen, supported, and part of the solution.

In this quick, practical 20-minute session, you’ll learn a four-step framework to start rebuilding trust as scale:

• Step 1: Create psychological safety
  Use anonymous, system-wide listening (beyond traditional surveys) so teachers can speak freely and know their honesty won’t carry consequences.
• Step 2: Give power back
  Teachers hold unique insight into daily realities. Invite their expertise and give them meaningful ownership in shaping solutions.
• Step 3: Listen to understand, not to audit
  Expect more from your survey tools. Ask open-ended questions about what’s working, what’s broken, and what’s needed now. Use dynamic follow-ups to uncover root causes.
• Step 4: Validate what you heard
  Reflect results back. Share themes, trends, and teacher feedback so staff see themselves in the data and know how their input will drive action.

You already know building trust takes time. This framework gives you a clear starting point and a practical structure to start rebuilding it.

*Source: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) 2024.