No Teachers. No Schools. No Communities.
Vital Network is Helping North Dakota Keep Great Educators
Why Retaining ND’s Educator Workforce Matters
North Dakota's schools and communities depend on teachers and principals staying in the profession. Despite being considered one of the most attractive states for teaching on several measures, more than 60% of ND school leaders report that it is either very difficult or impossible to fill teacher vacancies. In this, ND falls in the bottom quartile, nationally. Additionally, 6 out of 10 ND teachers cited burnout as a contributing factor to teacher attrition (2022). With educator shortages and burnout at crisis levels, retaining educators has become essential for strong schools and vibrant communities.
In 2023, ND state legislators rightly said enough, and a two-year pilot with Vital Network was born.
With support from the state, Vital Network partners with districts and REAs to improve organizational policies, processes and structures to ultimately reduce burnout and increase retention. Nearly half of North Dakota's educators—44 percent—have participated in the Vital pilot during its first two years, representing approximately 5,000 educators across 128 schools.
Early outcomes from the pilot are promising.
Pilot participants report:
A strategic focus on improving daily working conditions for educators;
Enhanced school and district alignment, amplifying teacher and leader voices; and,
Practical operational improvements, such as reducing meeting overload and restructuring leadership teams.
With this continued work, North Dakota can lead the nation in retaining great teachers.
Highlights of the Initial Pilot:
Launched the Vital program with large, medium, and small districts in rural and urban communities.
Partnered with NDCEL and REAs to expand reach and impact.
Contributed to the Governor’s Task Force on Teacher Retention.
Initiated school administrator retention efforts in response to a request by partner districts.
Established a research partnership with DPI to identify actionable strategies to increase teacher retention.
Five-Year Plan to Transform Education in ND
With continued legislative support, we can:
Reach 100% of North Dakota’s educators.
Develop and implement an administrator retention and mentorship program with a continued emphasis on supporting teachers by improving working conditions.
Build state capacity to sustain this work by training REAs to deliver Vital-powered support to rural and small districts.
Build state-level data systems and leadership in teacher retention and well-being.
Explore innovations in HR and school board level supports that contribute to retention and well-being.
Deepening the Work with Research
Educator Working Conditions are Student Learning Conditions
For North Dakota students to thrive and compete, they need exceptional teachers. However, the state faces critical challenges:
Educator burnout and turnover are significantly impacting student outcomes across all areas.
Retention and recruitment are pressing issues, particularly in rural communities.
The growing educator shortages are driven by:
An increasing number of teachers considering leaving the profession.
A declining pool of educators committed to long-term careers in teaching.
To tackle these issues, Vital has also joined forces with the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction on a research partnership. This partnership focuses on identifying and implementing effective strategies to make schools great places to work—ensuring educators stay and students benefit.
This collaboration centers on a multi-year research initiative with three primary goals:
Understand the state of teacher retention and well-being across North Dakota.
Pinpoint opportunities for innovation to enhance educators’ workplace experiences and career longevity.
Position North Dakota as a leader in advancing public understanding of the factors affecting teacher retention and well-being.
The project will compare outcomes in North Dakota districts and schools actively engaging in retention and well-being initiatives through Vital Network with those that have not yet implemented the Vital program. By analyzing the differences, the research will provide actionable insights to strengthen educator retention and improve learning environments statewide.