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Catalina Foothills presents 2024 teacher retention survey; salary and workload top concerns
Summary
Superintendent Dr. Bartlett told the Catalina Foothills Governing Board that the districtretention rate remains strong but teachers cite salary, workload and discipline as primary concerns. The 2024 survey saw a 300-response return and identified district- and statewide patterns that could shape hiring and budgeting.
Dr. Bartlett, Catalina Foothills Unified School District superintendent, presented the results of the district—s 2024 teacher retention survey to the governing board, saying the district—s historical retention rate has averaged in the mid-80s and that this year—s return was unusually high. "We had 300 teachers who took the survey out of about 337 teachers," Bartlett said, noting the survey was administered in spring 2024 and was anonymous.
The survey was intended to identify why teachers come to the district, why they accept and stay in positions, and what might cause them to leave. Bartlett told the board the district—s historical retention hovered around 84% and that "this year it was at its highest ever, and it was at 88%." She contrasted that with state data: "Arizona has notoriously had one of the highest attrition rates ... about 24% in Arizona," she said, citing the state—s 2023 educator retention task force.
Why this matters: teacher turnover imposes costs and affects continuity of instruction. Bartlett said replacing a certified teacher can cost roughly 150% of the departing teacher—s salary, making retention a fiscal as well as instructional priority.
Key findings
- Compensation: Salary ranked as the top factor that draws teachers, helps them decide to accept positions and keeps them in the district. Bartlett said salary has become a higher priority than in prior survey iterations.
- Workload and expectations: Open-ended comments and specific survey items showed workload and job expectations as a leading driver of dissatisfaction. Bartlett and board members discussed the 6-period high-school day as an example of a structural workload difference cited by some respondents.
- School climate and support: Coworker collaboration and principal/administrative support remain strong motivators to stay. Bartlett said teacher collaboration and supportive principals are among the district—s retention strengths.
- Special education staffing: The district reported ongoing difficulty hiring and retaining special education teachers. Bartlett noted that, over a six-year window covered by the historical data, special education positions showed higher turnover relative to the number of such posts.
- Discipline and parent support: Several comments raised concerns about increased disciplinary incidents since the pandemic and a perceived lack of consistent support from parents and, in some cases, site-level administrators.
Program response and context
Bartlett reviewed district programs intended to improve retention, including differentiated professional learning, tuition/alternate-certification supports and the retire-rehire program for eligible employees. Explaining the retire-rehire option, Bartlett said the arrangement allows an employee who is eligible to retire under the Arizona retirement system to do so and be rehired through a third-party contractor for a year before returning to the district payroll; "It is a win‑win for both the district and the teacher," she said, and added that the district now contributes an alternate contribution rate to replenish the state retirement fund for rehired retirees.
Survey scope and methodology
Bartlett said the 2024 instrument was the fourth district administration and is conducted every three years to limit survey fatigue. The administration produced about 300 responses from roughly 337 employees, a high response rate achieved by providing staff time to complete the survey. Questions used rank-order and multi-choice formats and several open-ended items; Bartlett cautioned the board that the survey is a snapshot and not a predictive model.
Board reaction and next steps
Board members asked clarifying questions about trends by school level, why teachers move to other local districts and how alternate-certification teachers fare in retention. Bartlett said the district tracks retention of alternatively certified teachers in the Great Beginnings induction program and provides additional mentoring and professional learning for those hires. She recommended continuing to prioritize competitive compensation, school-level collaboration time and principal support.
The presentation concluded with Bartlett noting that retention remains essential to the district—s strategic goals: "We can't realize our strategic plan goals without our qualified staff," she said, urging continued attention to retention in hiring and budgeting.
Ending: Bartlett said staff will share survey results with principals and teacher leaders and use the findings to refine professional learning, recruitment and retention strategies.
