President’s Message: Overcoming Leadership Churn, Part I: Employers Helping Educators
Joe, the customer service agent you worked with last month on your software problem, is nowhere to be found. Even though you spent three hours on the phone solving 75% of your problem with him, Joe took another job. In his place is Bill, who is relying on the training manual on his desk and Joe’s notes. Bill’s going to be great, but he’s green, and his potential doesn’t change the fact that you’re still going to spend an extra hour re-explaining everything to him and helping him catch up on what Joe so deftly managed to make happen last month. With his departure, Joe’s institutional memory, that “Je ne sais quoi?” which made him so valuable to his company, is gone, and with it went a portion of the trust and connections he brought to the table. Bill will eventually get there, but at what (and whose) cost?
This is the unspoken cost of turnover, a commonplace challenge that the business world has become good at adapting to since ‘The Great Resignation’ of 2021-2022, when voluntary quits in the U.S. peaked at over 4 million, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Four years later, while the trend has slowed, the country is still feeling the effects of The Great Resignation in significant ways. Employers who are quick to adapt have shifted from aggressive recruitment strategies to retention and culture stabilization, focusing on engagement, leadership development, internal promotion, and clearer advancement pathways. Some sectors have not been able to adapt so quickly, and an unlikely group - our children - are suffering for it.
Turnover in Education Has Grave Consequences…And Business Can Help
Across the country, teacher turnover has accelerated. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, schools have experienced elevated attrition since the pandemic. Locally, the challenge isn’t restricted to full-time teacher shortages only, but a massive shortage in substitute teachers, which stretches our district thin. When teachers depart, schools lose more than staffing stability – like a business, they too lose institutional memory, including local employer relationships, knowledge of regional career pathways, and hard-earned understanding of how classroom learning translates into the real economy.
That loss has consequences for students, and it’s time business helped to overcome it. Thanks to an incredibly generous Arconic Foundation grant, the Chamber Foundation is pleased to announce the relaunch of Educator in the Workplace, which was designed to rebuild that connective tissue. By placing teachers inside local businesses for hands-on job shadowing experiences, the program gives educators direct exposure to the skills, technologies, workplace cultures, and career trajectories available right here in our region.
When teachers see advanced manufacturing floors, healthcare settings, logistics operations, financial institutions, and small entrepreneurial firms firsthand, it reshapes how they plan instruction. Lesson plans become grounded in real examples. Classroom discussions include local employers by name. Abstract concepts in math, science, writing, and problem-solving take on practical relevance. More importantly, educators return to their schools equipped to answer a critical student question: “Why does this matter?”
For students, the impact is clear:
- Greater awareness of career pathways that exist locally
- Clearer understanding of required skills and credentials
- Stronger connection between classroom learning and real opportunity
For educators, it builds confidence, relevance, and community connection.
For employers, it creates a more informed talent pipeline.
At its core, this initiative is about restoring context — ensuring that even amid change, our schools remain connected to the communities and industries they serve. For more of the details on Educator in the Workplace and how your business can sponsor the program, participate as an employer, or share critical workforce information with educators, contact us at foundation@columbiamontourchamber.com, and visit our website.