What causes teacher burnout?

Teacher burnout is not an individual problem—it's caused by workplace conditions. Research shows burnout stems from systemic issues including unsustainable workloads, lack of autonomy and voice in decision-making, insufficient support systems, and misalignment between educator values and organizational practices. Vital Network addresses these root causes through the Well Educator Framework.

How can schools improve teacher retention?

Schools can improve teacher retention by focusing on workplace conditions rather than individual interventions. This includes optimizing how time is used (especially meetings), giving educators meaningful voice in decisions that affect them, and building authentic care and support systems. Vital Network's data-driven approach helps schools identify specific areas for improvement and implement targeted strategies.

What is the Well Educator Framework?

The Well Educator Framework is Vital Network's research-backed approach to building thriving school workplaces. It consists of three interconnected pillars: Time Management (optimizing how educators spend their work hours), Voice & Decision-Making (ensuring teachers have input on policies that affect them), and Care & Support (building systems that authentically support educator well-being). Together, these pillars create conditions for sustainable educator retention.

What is the Vital Experience?

The Vital Experience is a comprehensive process that helps schools understand and improve their workplace culture. It begins with the question 'How are the adults?' and uses survey data to reveal what's working, where friction exists, and what to try next. Vital Advisors then guide school teams through a continuous improvement process to implement meaningful changes.

Who are Vital Advisors?

Vital Advisors are experienced consultants who partner with schools and districts to implement educator well-being strategies. They guide leadership teams through data analysis, help identify priority areas for improvement, and support the implementation of changes that address the root causes of burnout and turnover.

How does Vital Network measure educator well-being?

Vital Network uses research-validated surveys to measure educator well-being across multiple dimensions including workload sustainability, sense of autonomy, quality of support systems, and alignment with organizational values. The data is analyzed to provide actionable insights at the school and district level, enabling targeted interventions.

Can Vital Network work with entire states or large districts?

Yes. Vital Network has experience working at scale, including a statewide partnership with North Dakota that reached over 5,000 educators across 128 schools. The Vital approach is designed to work at the individual school level while also providing district-wide and state-level insights for systemic improvement.

What makes Vital Network different from other educator wellness programs?

Unlike programs that focus on individual self-care or stress management, Vital Network addresses the systemic workplace conditions that cause burnout. The approach is guided by data and fueled by hope—using research-backed tools to identify problems and practical strategies to solve them. Vital doesn't blame educators for burnout; it helps schools create environments where educators can thrive.

Vital Network & MN — Vital Network

Communities Are Built Around Their Schools

Schools are built by the teachers and leaders who show up for kids everyday.

The Educator Retention Crisis is Here

The scale: we’re losing teachers faster than we can replace them.

1 in 3

new teachers leave the profession within their first 5 years.

Source: Ingersoll et al., 2018

16%

of those departures are retirements. The rest walk away mid-career.

Source: NCES National Teacher and Principal Survey, 2021

$200M

invested in teacher recruitment since 2023, while retention stays stalled.

Source: [citation needed]

15%

of Minnesota teaching positions are vacant or filled by someone not fully licensed for the role. That’s 20,846 classrooms.

Source: PELSB Minnesota Supply & Demand Report, 2025

38,160

licensed Tier 3/4 educators, 36% of the total, are no longer teaching in Minnesota classrooms.

Source: PELSB Minnesota Supply & Demand Report, 2025

There’s no shortage of teachers. There’s a shortage of teachers who stay.

Why Educator Retention MattersThe cost: turnover hits Minnesota students, taxpayers, and communities.

½ Year Lost

A student will lose up to ½ year of learning for every one teacher turnover.

Source: Learning Policy Institute, 2024

When teachers are burned out or leave their school community, student learning and well-being suffers. Because educators are the most important school-based factor in student success, retaining experienced educators protects instructional quality, builds consistency, and strengthens the relationships that support academic and social-emotional growth.

Up to $20k

Turnover of one teacher costs Minnesota up to $20,000.

Source: Learning Policy Institute, 2024

In Minnesota, replacing one teacher can cost up to $20,000. Turnover also increases the cost and decreases the effectiveness of every other statewide initiative, from disrupted continuity to higher training costs.

$91M–$192M

Estimated Minnesota total cost associated with educator turnover, 2024–25.

Source: Minnesota DEED

High turnover weakens return on investment by slowing the impact of even the strongest policies. When teachers stay, statewide initiatives like the READ Act gain traction, implementation deepens, and public dollars go further for Minnesota students.

7 out of 10

7 out of 10 Minnesota School Districts report vacancies.

Source: PELSB Minnesota Supply & Demand Report, 2025

Schools are often the backbone of a community. Especially in rural, remote, and frontier areas, when districts can’t recruit and retain educators, communities become harder to sustain. No teachers, no schools, no communities.

Recruiting new educators while ignoring working conditions is like filling a leaky bucket.

So why are they leaving? Educators tell us workplace conditions are a big part of it.

52%

of Minnesota educators say that school climate, especially leadership support, drives teacher exits.

Source: PELSB MNSPIRE Teacher Survey, 2022

66%

of teachers who left the profession said work-life balance was better in their new job.

Source: NCES Teacher Follow-Up Survey, 2021–22

58%

of teachers who left said their workload was more manageable in their new job.

Source: NCES Teacher Follow-Up Survey, 2021–22

Teaching Workforce Data

Minnesota is losing the talent war to its neighbors.

According to data from the Learning Policy Institute, North Dakota and Wisconsin are outperforming Minnesota when it comes to attracting and keeping teachers. The issue isn’t a mystery: our neighbors are winning on better pay, stronger early-career support, and more robust teacher pipelines. Right now, Minnesota is stuck in the middle of the pack, and our classrooms are paying the price.

Teaching attractiveness rating by state

Continue to make Minnesota’s schools great places to work.

It’s predicted to get worse unless we do something, now.

Retirement just got easier

62-and-30 → 60-and-30

Minnesota’s 2025 TRA change lowered the early retirement threshold with more favorable reduction factors. Earlier, more attractive exits for veteran educators.

The bigger leak is mid-career

This isn’t a retirement wave.

Early- and mid-career departures are the strongest warning sign. Retention is less about individual motivation and more about systemic conditions.

Statewide investment beats district-by-district competition. Make Minnesota a better place to teach, and every community keeps great educators. Every student benefits.

“What do you think would help with teacher retention?”

According to the PELSB MNSPIRE Teacher Survey Report, June 2022, over 15,000 licensed teachers across the state responded to this question. The top solutions were:

Reduce teacher burden

#1 most common theme

Increase pay and benefits

Make admin/system changes that support teachers

Source: PELSB MNSPIRE Teacher Survey Summary Report, June 2022

Vital Network is already improving educator retention in North Dakota.

Since 2023, Vital Network has partnered with districts serving roughly half of North Dakota’s educators, measurably improving the conditions that make teachers stay.

Check out our work in North Dakota

What North Dakota Educators Say

Vital Educator Workplace Experience Survey

Educators Surveyed

Fall 2025

Schools Represented

Fall 2025

Districts Participating

~60% of ND Educators

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.

What Educators Say

Nearly 90% report liking their students.

86% believe their work makes a meaningful difference.

74% report feeling energized by their work.

88% report positive working relationships.

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

The retention challenge is not a commitment problem.

It's about workplace conditions.

Through the Vital Experience survey, educators reported…

Worthwhile Meetings

Agree / Strongly Agree

The extent to which required meetings are worthwhile.

Life Balance

Agree / Strongly Agree

The ability to maintain a healthy balance between school responsibilities and your life outside of work.

Workload Management

Agree / Strongly Agree

The experience of having enough time, resources, and support to do the job well without the work feeling unmanageable.

N = 5,370 Educators, collected through Vital's Educator Workplace Experience survey, Fall 2025

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

Care & Support +

What It Measures

Quality of leadership relationships, collegial trust, and sense of community among staff and families.

Why It Matters

Psychological safety and belonging are foundational for engagement, collaboration, and stability.

Voice & Decision-Making +

What It Measures

Educator input in school and district decisions, clarity of communication, and collective problem-solving.

Why It Matters

Ownership and collective efficacy are strong predictors of motivation and retention.

Time Management +

What It Measures

Workload manageability, value of meetings, and autonomy over time use.

Why It Matters

Sustainable time use reduces burnout and protects effectiveness.

Well-Being & Vitality +

What It Measures

Hope, sense of purpose, energy, and belief in school improvement.

Why It Matters

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.

Themes & Sample Questions

Well-Being+

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.

Voice & Decision Making+

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.

Care & Support+

Staff in my school work well as a team.
Educators are respected in my community.

Time Management+

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.

Year-Over-Year Gains: Returning Cohort

Fall 2024 Fall 2025

Hope

58%

68%

Life balance

37%

46%

Communication clarity

44%

51%

Confidence that school is on the right path

54%

61%

Several time-and-workload indicators also shifted meaningfully:

Workload manageability

37%

48%

Work outside school hours is reasonable

37%

45%

Having enough time to get work done

35%

42%

Data source: Vital Network 2025–26 Educator Workforce Experience Survey (Fall 2025) and Mid-Year Survey (Winter 2026). Survey administered across Vital Network partner districts. All figures represent % Strongly Agree/Agree on a 7-point Likert scale.

Explore resources & reports from Vital Network's work in North Dakota

Resources & Reports

Research, tools, and reference materials from Vital Network's work in North Dakota.

Educator Staying Power in North Dakota 2026

The full research report on educator workforce conditions in North Dakota. Data, findings, and recommendations.

View Resource →

Policy Brief: Workplace Experiences of SPED Educators

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 →

Vital Mindset Quiz For School & District Leaders

An interactive self-assessment tool helping school and district leaders identify their mindset strengths and growth opportunities.

Take the Quiz →

North Dakota Voices

In Their Own Words: North Dakota Leaders on Educator Retention

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From the Field

Hear directly from a Vital Network partner district

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

Partner Endorsements

North Dakota education leaders speak on Vital Network's influence: amplifying voices, improving morale, and driving measurable change.

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