Cultivating a Culture That Attracts and Retains Great Teachers

In this episode, Steve Bristol, Incoming Interim Head of School at Chapin School and a consultant to independent schools, digs into the challenges around faculty sustainability.

Steve has decades of experience and shares what he’s seeing in schools today—from the growing pressures on teachers to how COVID-19 sped up some concerning trends. He gets into practical ideas like using the “jobs-to-be-done” framework and discusses why creating environments where teachers feel valued matters.

Steve also brings fresh thinking to hiring, making the case for focusing on character and relational skills over just content expertise. It’s a conversation full of actionable insights on how schools can keep great teachers and build a culture where everyone is mission-aligned.

What You'll Learn from Steve Bristol:

• Rethink Faculty Hiring Practices: Schools should prioritize character traits and relational skills over pure content expertise to build well-rounded teams.
• Create Professional Environments: Offering faculty lounge spaces that resemble professional coworking environments can help educators feel valued and respected.
• Embrace the ‘Jobs-to-Be-Done’ Framework: Schools can assess where faculty strengths lie and hire strategically to fill program gaps.
• Support Faculty with Real Development Opportunities: Investing in teachers’ professional growth reinforces their importance within the school community.
• Align Faculty with the School’s Mission: Regularly remind teachers of the mission to keep them connected to the intrinsic value of their work.

Discussion Prompts:

• How might your school assess the balance between faculty workload and job expectations?
• What character traits are most valued in your school’s teaching culture, and how are they prioritized during hiring?
• How can your school create a professional environment that supports faculty well-being and collaboration?
• What intrinsic benefits does your school offer to help retain talented educators?
• How can school leaders better communicate the mission to keep faculty engaged and connected?
• What steps can ensure faculty voices are heard and valued in strategic decisions?