Stephanie McAvoy drives about an hour each way to her job at Colleyville Middle School in Colleyville, Texas, where she鈥檚 taught English for the last three years.
Her daily commute takes her past several schools, including one within walking distance from home, and others where she turned down several job offers over the years.
The reason: McAvoy really wants to continue teaching at the 650-student Colleyville Middle School, which was named a Texas School to Watch, a special designation given to high-performing middle schools by the state鈥檚 secondary school principals鈥� association. It鈥檚 a school where staff members say the environment is one that supports professional growth, values staff input, and celebrates their successes.
McAvoy is not the only staff member to balk at entreaties to jump ship鈥攕ome of which would have resulted in big pay increases. The school鈥檚 principal, David Arencibia, has also been approached by other districts to come on board as a school leader or in a central office role. Education-focused organizations have also come calling for him.
Aaron Arroyo, who is in his second year as a theater teacher, also turned down an offer from a private school that would have bumped his salary by $15,000 a year.
鈥淲hat makes Colleyville unique鈥攁nd Grapevine-Colleyville ISD as a whole鈥攊s that they are involved, which doesn鈥檛 happen in a lot of districts,鈥� Arroyo said. 鈥淭hey are invested in not just the students, but the faculty. They are invested in what they can do to make the program build. It鈥檚 very a family atmosphere.鈥�
The district has not been without controversy, however. It made in 2021 after it chose not to renew the contract for Colleyville Heritage High School Principal James Whitfield amid accusations that Whitfield was promoting 鈥渃ritical race theory.鈥� Whitfield, who is Black and did not teach, had written a letter to the school community about racism and the need for 鈥渃onciliation,鈥� following the 2020 killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery. He later and has since
That鈥檚 not to say that people don鈥檛 leave Colleyville Middle School or that some level of turnover isn鈥檛 healthy, said Arencibia, who is now in his 7th year as the school鈥檚 principal. It took years to create the working and learning environment that teachers and other staff don鈥檛 want to leave, he said.
Arencibia cites four specific efforts that draw and keep employees at his school.
Hire with clear expectations and support teachers鈥� growth
The school鈥檚 staff know what they鈥檙e getting into when they are hired, Arencibia said.
The school is expected to compete with top ones in the state. Teachers are expected to plan lessons every day鈥攏o winging it鈥攔egardless of the number of years they鈥檝e been in the classroom. And they鈥檙e expected to teach from 鈥渂ell to bell,鈥� meaning that instruction and engagement with students should cover every minute in a 45-minute period, he said.
Questions during the job interviews let teachers know what鈥檚 expected of them, he said. Among them: What would you do in this situation? How would you approach this issue?
鈥淲e hear when someone is a good fit,鈥� Arencibia said.
But the school is equally supportive of helping teachers get professional development and training to meet its ideals, he said.
Professional development sessions have included discussions on the importance of maximizing every minute in each period and how losing just a few minutes of instruction each period adds up over an academic year. Those expectations are also delivered in staff updates and newsletters.
鈥淲e communicate, communicate, and communicate those expectations,鈥� Arencibia said.
But there鈥檚 also a level of trust and professional freedom, where teacher creativity is encouraged. That doesn鈥檛 mean they have free reign, he said.
鈥淭hey stay within the guidelines that we use,鈥� Arencibia said, referring to state and district requirements. 鈥淏ut beyond that, we really allow them to be the professionals that they are and be as creative as possible.鈥�
鈥淭here are a lot of places that are structured and rote,鈥� he continued. 鈥淲e don鈥檛 do that here. We pull those constraints off of them to allow them that creative teaching flexibility. That鈥檚 a very specific reason that teachers enjoy time on campus.鈥�
McAvoy said she knew she was a good fit for the school during the interviewing process when she was asked about her skills, strengths, and values. She was interviewed and hired on the same day.
鈥淚 was like, 鈥楾his doesn鈥檛 happen for anyone;' so, obviously this is where I am supposed to be,鈥� she said.
She鈥檇 worked in places where it seems like teachers were given extra duties instead of opportunities to grow if they were good at their jobs. But, her takeaway from the Colleyville interview was: 鈥溾�榊ou鈥檙e a professional; now go do your job,鈥�"she said.
She鈥檇 never felt that way before.
鈥淚 think that鈥檚 why people do excel at CMS,鈥� she said. 鈥淏ecause you are allowed to be the professional that you are and [practice] the craft that you know. You鈥檙e just trusted in that way.鈥�
Create a positive culture and school environment
A positive school culture is essential to keeping staff, Arencibia said.
Colleyville Middle School鈥檚 administration carves out time for culture-building exercises during staff meetings, with time for staff members to get to know each other, as well as to learn about their strengths and weaknesses.
Understanding co-workers helps to build empathy, said Arencibia, who cited a Gallup survey that shows that employee engagement increases when they鈥檙e connected to someone at work or have a friend at work.
In a state where fine and performing arts may not always get the same level of visibility as sports programs, Arroyo, the theater teacher, said both the school and district administrations have enthusiastically backed the program as he breathes new life into it.
Just weeks after arriving, Arencibia asked Arroyo what he needed for the theater program. The list included new lighting, sound, and a new stage. Within weeks, those items were on the district鈥檚 bond program.
The school also paid for Arroyo to immerse himself in a full-day of professional development at Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, the largest performing arts high school in the Dallas area, to deepen his teaching expertise.
鈥淚t鈥檚 investment,鈥� Arroyo said. 鈥淭hey are willing to go above and beyond鈥� just like fellow staff members鈥攏ot just for the fine arts. It鈥檚 literally for ELA, for the CTE programs, for athletics.鈥�
That helps solidify the positive school culture, he said.
鈥淚t鈥檚 also reinforcing that you are going to be supported because you matter, because we care,鈥� Arroyo said.
Celebrate staff
Staff members are routinely recognized by peers and students, for everything from a victory in the classroom to a child鈥檚 birthday, McAvoy said.
One way students show appreciation is through a monthly program that allows them to nominate a teacher who鈥檚 gone out of their way to help them. Those nominations are given to teachers so they learn firsthand how they鈥檙e impacting students, Arencibia said. Some students submit video nominations, which pack an emotional punch.
鈥淭hose are bucket-fillers,鈥� he said. 鈥淥ur staff and students love that. We would do that in staff meetings as well. We lift them up, and say, 鈥楾his is what students are saying about you.鈥� ... We鈥檒l have teachers crying because we are hearing straight from our kids.鈥�
The Parent Teacher Association also plays a big role in honoring teachers and staff and ensuring they know that their efforts are appreciated.
Colleyville Middle School has the distinction of having more PTA members than it does parents of currently enrolled students鈥攎eaning that lots of PTA members don鈥檛 have children in the school.
Parents show their gratitude in a number of ways, including by volunteering for projects, making treats for staff, doing regular food runs to surprise teachers with lunch and other meals, and collaborating with teachers on classroom activities.
Teachers take note, he said.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a good feeling when you鈥檙e recognized by the individuals around you,鈥� Arencibia said. 鈥淧eople are willing to invest more of their time and energy into those things鈥� for which they鈥檙e being lauded.
Listen to your staff
Like many schools, administrators at Colleyville Middle ask teachers every year for a wish list. It can include everything from classroom supplies to things that would improve teachers鈥� professional and personal lives.
One teacher, for example, had seasonal affective disorder and asked for her classroom to be moved to one that had more natural light.
鈥淟et me tell you, she was like a different person that following school year,鈥� Arencibia said. 鈥淚t truly impacted her鈥攆rom a physical, mental, and wellness standpoint.鈥�
Another teacher had to drop off her daughter at a neighboring school in the morning, which made it difficult for her to do lesson-planning early in the day. The school moved her morning duties to the afternoon. That accommodation was a 鈥済ame changer,鈥� he said, giving the teacher 鈥渁 lot more flexibility and freedom.鈥�
Teachers said that when they go to the administration with an initiative or a request, administrators don鈥檛 reflexively say no. They work to figure out how to fulfill the request if it鈥檚 a good thing for students.
That鈥檚 one of the reasons why Lauren Jones, the school鈥檚 head band director, is still at Colleyville Middle School, where she started 11 years ago.
鈥淭he answer is hardly ever no when we are trying to do something that鈥檚 in the best interest of our students and the community,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 always, 鈥楲et鈥檚 brainstorm and figure out a way to make it happen. Just think big picture.鈥� There鈥檚 never a roadblock, and if there is, it鈥檚 like a team effort to talk about it and find solutions and do what鈥檚 right for our kids on a daily basis.鈥�
Arencibia said it takes time to build the kind of environment he has at Colleyville Middle School, where he currently has only two teaching vacancies.
That was not the case when he arrived.
鈥淭here were some staff members that we had to help move along,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 had to help them find what their next true passion was鈥攚hatever that was鈥攂ecause it wasn鈥檛 teaching kids at the time.鈥�
There鈥檚 natural turnover, and people leave because of spousal relocations and promotions, for example, he said. He鈥檚 hired about three-quarters of the current staff and loses about 10 staff members a year, with custodians and secretaries included in that number in addition to teachers, Arencibia said.
McAvoy, the teacher who drives nearly an hour each way to work, appreciates the quality time she spends with her daughter, whose school is just down the hill from her mother鈥檚, on the commute. They have heart-to-heart mother-daughter conversations. She listens to the radio. She decompresses.
This works for her, she said.
鈥淭he main thing with teaching, I believe, is that you find your fit, you find your family, and it doesn鈥檛 matter if you take a slight pay cut or you have to drive a little bit farther,鈥� McAvoy said. 鈥淨uality of life is worth more. Your life is worth more. You being a really good parent is worth more, and that鈥檚 what I have found over the three years, and that鈥檚 why I continue to do this.鈥�
