The Key to Retaining Great Teachers? Let Them Lead and Pay Them for It

By Marissa Tanner

AJ spent most of 6th grade skipping class. Triggered by even small tasks, like being asked to write guided notes during instruction, AJ entered my 7th grade social studies class academically behind and discouraged. Reading at an early-elementary level, I needed to earn his trust and give him tools to succeed.

With help from AJ's incredible one-on-one paraprofessional, we focused on small wins. I learned AJ's favorite candy was Starburst and my usual mints wouldn't cut it. I broke lessons into manageable parts and we numbered and highlighted readings so he could connect with new social studies content, including unfamiliar topics far beyond the limits of the city he'd never left. Together, we built his confidence, celebrated progress, and made learning accessible. By midyear, AJ was staying in class, raising his hand, and earning passing grades.

His success meant everything to me. The year before-my first as a middle school teacher after six years teaching high school-I nearly quit the profession, convinced I wasn't cut out for the classroom. My lessons fell flat, my students weren't learning, and I felt like I was failing them. I had been used to struggling alone, but after raising the challenges to my team, I received real support from my colleagues, instructional coaches, and administrators. They taught me how to embed evidence-based reading strategies, filling gaps for students like AJ who needed fluency and vocabulary instruction.

Because of their support and collaboration, my students grew, and I grew with them, becoming both a social studies and literacy teacher. AJ's progress shows what teachers can do when they're supported, mentored, and given time to collaborate.

In 2024, only 32% of my school's students passed the English portion of the ILEARN assessment and 48% were below proficiency. This past Spring, 42% passed and only 39% scored below proficiency. These improvements occurred because of our principal's emphasis on collaboration, planning, and data-driven professional development through our work with the National Institute for Excellence in Teaching, and a shared commitment to student and teacher growth as part of our new Instructional Leadership Team (ILT).

Because of this support structure, I now lead teams, collaborate across the district, and even participate in a teaching fellowship. My colleagues mentor peers, lead professional learning, and analyze data. These opportunities help keep teachers in the classroom and build a pipeline of support for incoming teachers, yet almost none of this comes with additional compensation.

Like many teacher leaders, I've taken on more because it's good for students. But teaching in 2025 is harder than ever and doing more with less isn't sustainable for retaining excellent educators or supporting teachers who are still learning the job.

Earlier this year, Indiana updated the Teacher Appreciation Grant (TAG) to now allow districts to use these specific state-provided funds to compensate teachers for leadership roles, not just performance. This shift could enable districts to pay mentors, instructional coaches, and team leaders for the critical work they already do.

This is a game-changer: it paves the way for districts to create career pathways that keep experts in the classroom at a time when many teachers are questioning staying in the career altogether. As districts start to share plans, teachers should continue to inform the process and advocate for a clear, transparent, and well-defined plan for how dollars can support collaboration in their district. Teachers should view this as a crucial opportunity to advocate for systems that truly value the expertise and leadership that make schools successful.

Traditional salary schedules reward longevity, not necessarily impact. If we want better outcomes for students like AJ, districts must invest in the teachers who make that happen. TAG funds create a pathway to do so-and teachers should be at the table shaping those decisions. Research shows that teachers stay when they feel supported and part of a community. Leveraging state funding to create compensated leadership roles strengthens both. When new teachers have mentors and accomplished teachers are recognized with meaningful, well-defined roles and pay, schools become places where everyone grows.

AJ is now in high school, and I couldn't be prouder of him. The tools I gained through coaching and collaboration are the same ones I now share with colleagues, who use them with their own struggling readers. Intentional support made me a better teacher for AJ and so many others. It also made me a teacher leader. And teacher leaders when nurtured, compensated, and trusted don't just improve classrooms. They change entire schools.