District presents first exit‑survey results; trustees press for deeper data and action

Antioch Unified's human resources team presented the district's first formal exit‑survey summary on Aug. 7, telling the board the initial sample included 31 respondents (24 certificated, seven classified) and offered signals about retention and areas needing attention.

Staff said respondents on average reported positively that their skills and backgrounds were used effectively (average 3.71 on a 0–4 scale) and gave high marks for pay and benefits. Lower average scores appeared for the meaningfulness of the evaluation process (about 2.58) and supervisor availability.

HR reported roughly 1,400 anticipated employees for 2024–25 and said the district is tracking departures historically by reason (retirement, relocation, credential issues). In this presentation HR noted about 20 certificated departures in the most recent reporting period were labeled "credential issues"—employees who did not complete credentialing and therefore left classroom roles. HR said credential specialists work individually with staff to support credential completion but acknowledged the dataset lacks fine‑grained detail and will be improved in future cycles.

Trustees asked multiple follow‑up questions: how the survey was distributed (electronic after resignation acceptance), whether responses could lead to retaliation (staff said surveys are processed after board acceptance of resignations), and whether HR will disaggregate responses by race/role to identify trends. Trustees also sought better tracking of evaluation completion via the Frontline system and requested a plan to increase response rates and shorten the survey (current average completion time ~28 minutes).

HR next steps include moving to electronic evaluations via Frontline for better accountability, expanding induction and mentorship for new teachers (including those on short‑term permits), and producing more disaggregated and longitudinal data to help the board evaluate retention strategies.

Formal actions: none. Trustees asked staff to return with refined data and recommended measures to address low scores in evaluation and supervisory support.

Quote: "We want that number to come down—we want our brand‑new teachers to be supported so that they're continuing in the field," a staff presenter said of credential‑related departures.

Context: the exit survey is an early effort to create a repeatable dataset to drive retention and professional‑development policy decisions; HR emphasized this was a first iteration and presented planned improvements.