Professional Staff:
Retaining & Attracting Excellent Professional Staff
2025-2030: Professional Staff
Our professional staff are passionate, dedicated, mission-aligned, and community-minded. The teachers at St. Luke’s are experts in child development, instruction, and community building. Uniquely prepared to guide students during their most important ages, 4 through 14, our teachers develop rich and challenging intellectual environments grounded in a genuine understanding of our students and commitment to their social and emotional well-being. The administrative staff supports our dedication to children and their development by creating, sustaining, and improving the structures and systems that ensure safe, nurturing facilities. It is a team effort, and we are all in it together!
Over the next five years, the school will continue to be intentional in investing in our professional staff to ensure that we retain and attract individuals who are experts in their fields and who engage in the joys of collaborating, are committed to student-focused pedagogy, are enthusiastic about lifelong learning, and desire to nurture belonging for all members of our community.
Strategic Priority 1
Determine the factors that are important for professional staff retention and create a comprehensive approach that considers compensation, workload, professional development, and belonging.
Strategic Priority 2
Expand our review process that articulates pathways for growth, evaluates individual performance, and clearly and effectively communicates opportunities for professional development, leadership, and innovation.
Strategic Priority 3
Create and implement an informed and comprehensive recruitment strategy to attract diverse and talented professionals who meet the current and future needs of our students and program.
Professional Staff and Belonging
At St Luke’s, belonging is an essential component of the professional staff experience. In order for professional staff to continue to bring their best selves to our students, families, and curricular development, they need a workplace where they are valued, supported, and empowered to thrive. As we look to the future, we will ensure that our recruitment, retention, and professional growth structures prioritize belonging and anti-bias practices.
Our Goals:
Professional Staff 2025 - 2026
As we begin the first year of the 5-year strategic plan, our professional staff builds on the work done over the last few years by continuing to sustain and deepen our commitments to learning, community, and belonging. We will begin to assess our applicant funnel as we review and refine the improvements we’ve already made to the recruitment process.
Using last year’s salary analysis as a foundation, we will continue to implement sustainable practices for benchmarking faculty compensation. We will initiate the process of identifying key factors crucial for professional staff retention.
With our current professional staff, we will expand and systematize regular opportunities for goal-setting, review, and feedback across all members of the professional community, with a focus on launching a faculty review process in the Spring. For new members of our professional community, we will continue formalizing a comprehensive onboarding process. And, for all of our professional staff, we will articulate and begin to expand pathways for growth and recognition of excellence.
Our Strategic Plan in Action: 2025-2026
The Human Resources team has deepened relationships with recruitment companies as part of our enhanced recruitment strategy. (Expansive applicant funnel)
The Human Resources team has deepened relationships with recruitment companies as part of our enhanced recruitment strategy. (Expansive applicant funnel)
The Interim Teacher Evaluation Process was built and implemented for fall 2025 interim teachers, and was used as beta testing data for the full faculty professional review process. (Responsive staff feedback structures)
The Interim Teacher Evaluation Process was built and implemented for fall 2025 interim teachers, and was used as beta testing data for the full faculty professional review process. (Responsive staff feedback structures)
Lower School and Upper School teachers are piloting learning walks to enhance peer feedback and collaboration. (Responsive staff feedback structures)
Lower School and Upper School teachers are piloting learning walks to enhance peer feedback and collaboration. (Responsive staff feedback structures)
All new professional staff receive onboarding checklists, schedules, and timelines to ease the transition to a new school community. (Extensive onboarding process)
All new professional staff receive onboarding checklists, schedules, and timelines to ease the transition to a new school community. (Extensive onboarding process)
Human Resources in collaboration with senior leadership has enhanced new employee orientation to include community walks and equity & belonging training (Extensive onboarding process)
Human Resources in collaboration with senior leadership has enhanced new employee orientation to include community walks and equity & belonging training (Extensive onboarding process)
Using feedback and requests from professional staff, the Office of Equity & Belonging has expanded its sponsorship of affinity group and monthly Eggs & Equity programming. (Robust retention strategies)
Using feedback and requests from professional staff, the Office of Equity & Belonging has expanded its sponsorship of affinity group and monthly Eggs & Equity programming. (Robust retention strategies)
Human Resources has enhanced the professional staff portal to include more information and provide easy access to important resources. (Robust retention strategies)
Human Resources has enhanced the professional staff portal to include more information and provide easy access to important resources. (Robust retention strategies)
Human Resources, in collaboration with senior leadership are revising administrative job descriptions so that they clear, transparent, and align with actual job duties. (Pathways for professional growth)
Human Resources, in collaboration with senior leadership are revising administrative job descriptions so that they clear, transparent, and align with actual job duties. (Pathways for professional growth)
Human Resources has articulated essential responsibilities for all professional staff that are included on all new job postings. (Pathways for professional growth)
Human Resources has articulated essential responsibilities for all professional staff that are included on all new job postings. (Pathways for professional growth)
Division Heads are intentionally creating teacher leadership opportunities that follow a consistent and transparent application and selection process. (Pathways for professional growth)
Division Heads are intentionally creating teacher leadership opportunities that follow a consistent and transparent application and selection process. (Pathways for professional growth)
A Look Ahead:
Professional Staff 2026 - 2030
2026 - 2027
In our second year of the plan, we will finalize and socialize improvements to the recruitment process and begin to implement methods for increasing our applicant funnel, while also educating candidates about our mission, vision, and values. For our current faculty, staff, and administration, we will institutionalize a comprehensive system of professional review, and for new members of our professional community, we will continue to improve our onboarding process. As we continue to expand pathways for growth, development, and recognition, we will also explore retention structures that enhance our commitment to student-centered teaching and learning.
2027 - 2028
In our third year of the plan, we will continue to expand our applicant funnel and appreciation for St. Luke’s as a school that values all aspects of membership in a professional community. For new members of our professional community, we will continue to improve our onboarding process, creating a comprehensive one that extends beyond just the first year at St. Luke’s. In the Lower School, we will enhance the professional learning and ex-missions process in our Associate Teacher Program. For all professional staff, we will socialize the expanded pathways for growth, development, and recognition while also deepening our commitment to mission-aligned professional development and student-centered teaching and learning.
2028 - 2029
In our fourth year of the plan, we will assess the ways we’ve expanded our applicant funnel by attracting experienced, mission-aligned, and exceptional professionals. Our retention program will continue to address the needs of our professional staff, while also focusing on robust professional growth, deepening our education systems, and supporting student growth. For our associate teachers in particular, we will finalize the improvements made in professional education and ex-missions.
2029 - 2030
In our final year of the plan, we will focus our resources on retention structures that meet the needs of our professional staff and support student-centered learning. We will firmly institutionalize robust pathways for professional growth, systems for mission-aligned staff education plans, and recognition of excellence at St. Luke’s School.
Our Tactical Initiatives:
Students 2025 - 2030
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