One fifth of teachers leave for this surprising reason...

Happy Friday

Have you ever thought about what "flexibility" really means in your school? Not just as a buzzword, but as a practical approach to keeping great teachers in your classrooms?

This week, I learned about the concept of reason neutral and it’s really helped me reframe my thinking.

When we consider flexible working arrangements, many of us instinctively weigh up whether someone's reason seems "important enough." Childcare? Of course. Writing a book? Hmm, not sure. Taking care of mental wellbeing? Maybe.

But what if we removed that judgement entirely?

Reason neutrality means focusing on whether the arrangement could work for both the teacher and the school, rather than evaluating the worthiness of the request. This subtle shift in thinking creates a foundation for much more honest conversations about work arrangements.

One statistic worth pondering:

They're not leaving because they don't want to teach; they're leaving because they need flexibility that schools aren't providing.

For me, the beauty lies in the simplicity of solutions. A later start one day a fortnight. Working from home during planning time. Job shares between experienced and newer teachers. Or sometimes, a sabbatical that allows a veteran teacher to return refreshed rather than burnt out.

None of these arrangements need be permanent. They might shift as life circumstances change. The important piece is creating a culture where these conversations can happen openly, without fear of judgment or career limitation.

So where might you begin?

Consider running "stay surveys" with your current teachers. Instead of just asking departing staff why they're leaving, ask your current team what would make them stay longer. Focus particularly on those at transition points: early career, returning from parental leave, or approaching retirement.

What we’re trying to do here is start conversations that acknowledge the humans behind the teacher title, people with complex lives outside school walls who still have tremendous value to offer our students.

I'd love to hear your thoughts. Has your school explored flexible working? What small changes have made the biggest difference? Hit reply and let me know.

Enjoy your weekend,

Shane

P.S. Huge thanks to Julie and Neil for inspiring my thinking on the podcast this week. You can find our full conversation here if you’d like to learn more.

Here’s a few of my latest episodes to take you in to the weekend: