Faculty Climate: What Schools that are Employers of Choice Have in Common

By Dr. Harry Bloom, Founder and President, Benchmarking for Good, Inc.

Faculty Climate Survey Findings

Based on recent Benchmarking for Good faculty climate surveys with 800 educators working in over a dozen diverse Jewish day schools, several schools stood out in terms of the higher propensity of their faculty to recommend them as employers of choice to friends and colleagues. The highest performing schools include the Donna Klein Jewish Academy (Boca Raton, FL), Ida Crown Jewish Academy (Chicago, IL), and Fuchs Mizrachi Day School (Cleveland, OH). 

Of note, the top performing schools on Employer of Choice-related metrics were not distinguished from their peers on the dimension of salary and benefits. However, they did set themselves apart on three other factors: (1) perceived performance in work/life balance, (2) realistic supervisor expectations about workload, and (3) providing supportive tools (e.g., in the form of space, curriculum and technology). 

Implications for School Leaders

In a tight employment market for qualified teachers, senior school administrators would do well to learn more about the factors that turn faculty members into promoters via faculty climate surveys, and related qualitative research. A great place to start is actively delving into the work/life balance flexibility faculty seek, about what gives them clarity and comfort relative to workload expectations, and about the tools that make them feel supported in their profession. 

In a competitive job market, this type of research and the findings it generates could mean the difference between your school being successful in retaining current faculty and hiring new ones, and the reverse.

For more information about Benchmarking for Good’s grant programs in support of positive faculty climate, please contact Dr. Harry Bloom at harrybloom@benchmarkingforgood.org.

#faculty climate  #supervision  #edtech  #work/life balance  #classroom 

.