Retaining experienced, qualified teachers: The principal’s role

One process for retaining experienced, qualified teachers is to provide them with opportunities to grow professionally (Blasé & Blasé, 2001). The intent of this paper is to provide information about meeting the needs of experienced, qualified rural teachers, especially in the area of professional development. A story line of one rural science teacher’s journey with professional development opportunities and experiences is shared. Her principal’s role is also described. Also included is a comparison between the teacher’s experiences and research about professional development. The paper concludes with recommendations for those involved in rural schools, especially in administrative positions will be shared. The recommendations focus on strengthening professional development opportunities and experiences for teachers. “Effective teachers constitute a valuable human resource for schools—one that needs to be treasured and supported ” (Darling-Hammond, 2003, p. 7). Research has demonstrated that teacher effectiveness has a direct effect on student achievement (Carey, 2004; Darling-Hammond and Skyes, 2003). According to Carey, “Some of the earliest and best analysis has been done in Tennessee, where researcher