Working Conditions; Recruiting and Retention

By Vincent Corletta

At a time when public education is under attack, we in the schools must stand together—educators, assistant principals, custodians, aides, and administrators alike. The New York State United Teachers (NYSUT) slogan, “Public Schools Unite Us,” resonates now more than ever. This unity must extend across the State, the DOE, and NYCPS. We see the stakes clearly and must all do our part to fight back.

School leaders cannot be on the sidelines. They must be active participants in protecting the institutions we all serve—through policy decisions, public advocacy, and the daily realities of working conditions. All stakeholders must work side by side to keep our schools places of safety, dignity, and possibility—not just for students, but for all who show up to teach, lead, and care.

Principals shape the heart of working conditions. Principals who protect and invest in their teams build stability and trust. But when leadership shuts out feedback, becomes rigid, or creates fear, it damages morale and drives people away. It is hard to show up every day when everything feels high-pressure and small issues are punished instead of solved. Schools are ecosystems—everything matters—and now more than ever, we need more collaboration, communication, and support.

It’s often said people leave jobs because of bad management. Administrators have tough jobs too, but it’s important to remember that what happens in the classroom matters most. When educators are overloaded with extra tasks that pull focus away from students, everyone loses. Schools should feel like teams. Principals must advocate for their staff and make it a priority to keep them.

There’s a dangerous idea that if a teacher runs a good classroom, they don’t need anything. That’s not true. Good teaching takes time, energy, creativity, and constant work—it doesn’t happen on its own. The same goes for retention: keeping good people is not automatic. It takes work and care.

This year, there’s been a huge push for recruitment, but barely any focus on what it takes to make people stay. Principals must build environments where educators can see themselves growing: where their voices matter, their work is respected, and their well-being is protected. In a time when public education is being chipped away at, school leaders must fight for public schools as the powerful, democratic spaces they are. Supporting teachers is supporting students—and leaders who know that will keep public education strong.