Strong Communities Start with Strong Schools
Schools are built by the teachers and leaders who show up for kids every day.
The Educator Retention Crisis Is Here
Educator shortages in Maine are not solely a pipeline problem. They’re also a sustainability challenge. Recruitment matters, but many educators leave early, creating a cycle of turnover that affects students, school culture, and public investment. Maine still lacks consistent insight into the working conditions that drive burnout and attrition. That’s the gap this work is designed to fill.
Retention is the most immediate, cost-effective lever for stabilizing Maine’s workforce.
of Maine teachers are “very satisfied” with their jobs.
Johnson et al. (2020) [full title + link]
of district administrators have five or fewer years in their role.
Johnson et al. (2020) [full title + link]
building leaders has less than two years of experience.
Johnson et al. (2020) [full title + link]
Maine’s Legislative Task Force on School Leadership warned of a “school leadership crisis” due to unfilled principal and district leader positions.
Legislative Task Force on School Leadership (2016)
Conditions are a relative strength, but that won’t hold without consistent insight into what drives burnout and early exits.
- Neighbors Vermont and New Hampshire rate in the top quintile.
- Only 32% of Maine teachers report being “very satisfied.”
Learning Policy Institute, The State of the Teacher Workforce (interactive map); Johnson et al. (2020) [full title + link]
Why Educator Retention MattersTurnover is costly, disruptive, and preventable when we pay attention to working conditions.
of student learning can be lost with each teacher turnover.
Henry & Redding, The Consequences of Leaving School Early, Education Finance and Policy (2020)
Maine spends at least $17 million each year on teacher turnover. Replacing one teacher can cost up to $20,000.
Learning Policy Institute, What’s the Cost of Teacher Turnover? (2024) [Maine initiative at risk]
Schools are the backbone.
So Why Are They Leaving?
Educators tell us workplace conditions are a big part of it: burnout, weak leadership support, and a shrinking pool of educators committed to long-term careers, with rural communities hit hardest.
Teachers who’ve considered leaving are twice as likely to name stronger administrator support as the top fix.
Johnson et al. (2020) [full title + link]
consider leaving due to workload and stress.
Johnson et al. (2020) [full title + link]
Maine teachers are older than 60, compared to only 2% in 1999.
Johnson et al. (2020) [full title + link]
Better Conditions. Better Retention.
Retention isn’t an individual resilience problem. It’s a systems problem. Educator working conditions are student learning conditions, and for Maine students to thrive and compete, they need exceptional teachers who stay.
- 1
Launch
A Maine-based retention initiative with Educate Maine focused on workplace conditions.
- 2
Listen
Brief, research-based surveys of teachers and leaders at key points in the year (typical participation 85%+).
- 3
Act
Support district and school leaders in local improvement work aligned with existing initiatives.
- 4
Inform
Surface regional and statewide patterns to guide policy and resource alignment.
- 5
Sustain
Strengthen teacher and principal retention by improving the conditions that make schools sustainable.
Vital Network is already improving educator retention in North Dakota.
Let’s talk about how we can help Maine.
[Contact name, title] [name@vitalnetwork.com]
Want to read more?
- Johnson et al. (2020) [full citation + link: Maine teacher and leader survey data]
- Learning Policy Institute: What’s the Cost of Teacher Turnover? (2024)
- Legislative Task Force on School Leadership (2016) [link]
- Learning Policy Institute: The State of the Teacher Workforce (interactive map)
- Henry & Redding: The Consequences of Leaving School Early, Education Finance and Policy (2020)
What North Dakota Educators Say
Vital Network, North Dakota client list (July 2026)
The extent to which required meetings are worthwhile.
The ability to maintain a healthy balance between school responsibilities and your life outside of work.
The experience of having enough time, resources, and support to do the job well without the work feeling unmanageable.
Vital Network, Educator Workplace Experience Survey (2025–26)
Across districts partnering with Vital Network, educator voice data reveals a consistent statewide pattern: educators remain deeply connected to students and to the purpose of their work, even as structural conditions continue to strain daily experience.
Source: Vital Educator Workplace Experience Survey, Fall 2025 (N = 5,370)
Working in education is one of the most meaningful and challenging paths you could choose. It’s not easy. There are long days, emotional demands, and moments of frustration, but the impact you make is real and lasting.
— Fargo educator
When we address work-life balance and workload pressure, schools become more attractive places to work.
How and Why: Measuring Educator Experience – Pillars of Educator Experience
Quality of leadership relationships, collegial trust, and sense of community among staff and families.
Psychological safety and belonging are foundational for engagement, collaboration, and stability.
Educator input in school and district decisions, clarity of communication, and collective problem-solving.
Ownership and collective efficacy are strong predictors of motivation and retention.
Workload manageability, value of meetings, and autonomy over time use.
Sustainable time use reduces burnout and protects effectiveness.
Hope, sense of purpose, energy, and belief in school improvement.
Closely linked to intent to stay and long-term career satisfaction.
Surveys & Actionable Insights
Vital surveys are meticulously crafted to be short, practical, and lead to learning and action. Data are delivered quickly to allow data review to happen right away.
Each question yields insights on the leading indicators of what makes great places to work, illuminating educator experiences that help leaders get ahead of burnout and turnover. By drawing on the latest research on the underlying causes of educator well-being and job satisfaction, the data become a powerful shared text on which teams can reflect, act, and improve.
- The people closest to me would say that I speak positively about my job.
- Most days, I feel a sense of accomplishment about what I do.
- I receive the information I need in order to effectively do my job.
- Staff have a process through which we work with administration to improve our school.
- Staff in my school work well as a team.
- Educators are respected in my community.
- The amount of time I spend in scheduled meetings is reasonable.
- I find value in the meetings I am required to attend.
Vital Districts are seeing increases in critical areas of workplace experience: Hope, Life Balance, Workload Manageability among the top ranked.
Maine educators named the same fixes that are working in North Dakota.
| Maine finding | North Dakota evidence |
|---|---|
| Teachers considering leaving are 2× as likely to name stronger administrator support as the top fix | Communication clarity rose from 44% to 51% among returning ND educators [Confirm best Care & Support match] |
| Only 32% of Maine teachers are “very satisfied” with their jobs | Hope rose from 58% to 68% in one year among returning ND educators |
| Leadership instability: 56% of district administrators have 5 or fewer years in role | ND initiated school administrator retention efforts [Add ND data point if available] |
Vital Network ND Statewide Dashboard
Strengthening North Dakota’s Educator Workforce
- Launched the Vital program with large, medium, and small districts in rural and urban communities.
- Partnered with the state council of education leaders (NDCEL) and regional agencies to tailor the model locally.
- Contributed to the Governor’s Task Force on Teacher Retention.
- Initiated school administrator retention efforts.
- Established a research partnership with DPI to identify actionable strategies to increase teacher retention.
Let’s talk about how we can help Maine.
[Contact name, title] [name@vitalnetwork.com]
Resources & Reports
Research, tools, and reference materials from Vital Network’s work in North Dakota.
The full research report on educator workforce conditions in North Dakota. Data, findings, and recommendations.
View Resource →Learn how more than 10,000 special education professionals across North Dakota experienced their workplace during the 2025-26 school year, in this short policy brief.
Download PDF →An interactive self-assessment tool helping school and district leaders identify their mindset strengths and growth opportunities.
Take the Quiz →[Needed: Educate Maine or Maine-specific resources, e.g. Legislative Task Force on School Leadership report]
North Dakota Voices
North Dakota leaders, educators, and partners on what changed when their districts worked with Vital Network.
Jeff McCanna shares how Vital Network transformed staff well-being and organizational health at one of North Dakota's largest school districts.
Dr. Jeff McCanna
Chief Human Capital Officer, Fargo Public Schools
Let’s talk about how we can help Maine.
[Contact name, title] [name@vitalnetwork.com]