Phi Delta Kappan

Editor in Chief Kathleen Vail introduces the Fall 2025 issue of Kappan.

News, quotes, and past insights related to the theme of the Summer 2025 issue of Kappan: “The New Generation of Educators”

Authors from the Fall 2025 issue of Kappan recommend books that have inspired them professionally.

Seven “habits of mind” — ways of thinking — create strong school cultures that invite new and veteran teachers into professional conversations to improve teaching. These habits are: remaining open to continuous learning; thinking about thinking; figuring things out; communicating; creating, imagining, and innovating; taking responsible risks; and persisting. Elliott Seif, Bena Kallick, and Arthur L. Costa have identified four school practices to nurture, improve and strengthen these habits of mind: teaching habits of mind language and behaviors, providing positive reinforcements and incentives for teacher growth/development, creating opportunities for deliberate practice, and developing professional development options.

The challenges Generation Z teachers face, including workplace bullying, social isolation, and lack of recognition, are compounded by this generation’s experience with cultural, economic, and political instability. Elizabeth E. Heilman describes the core emotional needs for belonging, esteem, safety, and justice and how teaching can challenge teachers’ well-being in each of these areas. She calls for a supportive school climate that prioritizes teachers' care emotional needs. Strategies for improving emotional well-being include fostering a positive environment, self-care coaching, setting professional boundaries, building support networks, and techniques like social media fasts, esteem building, anxiety reduction, and time management. These approaches aim to enhance resilience, reduce stress, and improve job satisfaction, fostering a more effective and supportive teaching environment.

Seán William Henne explores how a 150-year family teaching legacy offers insights into fostering teacher retention in the 21st century. Drawing on genealogical research and interviews with nearly 40 educators in the family, Henne identifies two key factors that sustain teachers: the power of robust support networks and a shared commitment to transformative education. Stories of resilience, mentorship, and advocacy illustrate how collaborative communities of practice bolster teacher retention and help educators navigate challenges. By reflecting on this intergenerational experience, he advocates granting teachers the time and opportunity to participate in the kinds of intentional learning communities where new teachers thrive, fostering sustainability in a profession vital to societal well-being.

In the wake of the global pandemic, teacher attrition has been a significant concern. Michelle Hughes and Kanoe Bunney researched the conditions under which Gen Z generation would persist in the profession. In their research and a survey of preservice educators, they found that cultural and geopolitical shifts and technological advances shaped Gen Z future educators, giving them a different kind of resilience with unique strengths and aspirations. They are bringing a sense of empathy, comfort with technology, and an activist mindset into the profession. And they value leaders who accept them for who they are, give them opportunities to grow, and give them sufficient pay and resources.

How do the characteristics of new teachers vary geographically? In this article, Yujia Liu, Chanh B. Lam, J. Cameron Anglum, and Tuan D. Nguyen use a novel rurality measure, the Community Assets and Relative Rurality (CARR) index, to examine trends in teachers entering the profession across different levels of rurality, focusing on teachers in Kansas and Missouri from 2010 through 2023. They highlight pandemic-era changes in the first-year teacher workforce, providing insights into the demographic characteristics and mobility patterns of new teachers, including Generation Z. These findings have implications for school districts seeking to better support and retain new teachers, with an emphasis on new-generation educators in rural contexts.

Amira Nash of the University of Iowa presents the insights of four current teacher education students (Olga Colmenero, Galilea Flores, Anna Holub, Josie Mbaye), each sharing their unique motivations for pursuing a career in teaching and their visions for the future of the profession. These students, all members of their campus chapter of Aspiring Educators, the preservice affiliate of the National Education Association, offer diverse perspectives that highlight the varied experiences and aspirations of Gen Z educators. Their stories not only underscore the multifaceted nature of this generation but also provide valuable suggestions for making the teaching profession more appealing and supportive for future educators.

Concerns about special educator burnout and attrition have made their way into popular media discourse, and are impacting future Gen Z teachers. Although they demonstrate a commitment to equity and a passion for teaching, many Gen Zers express anxiety regarding careers in special education. Kristabel Stark, Shana Haines, Parker Goss, and Julie Vadhan explore Gen Z attributes and discuss tensions between these attributes and the norms of the current special education system. They then propose that the concept of collective well-being could help education professionals maximize the sustainability of the future special education workforce

Generation Z educators are entering classrooms with specific perspectives, motivations, and challenges that influence their transition into teaching. Many Gen Z teachers face barriers such as overwhelming onboarding processes, insufficient mentoring, and professional stress, which contribute to difficulties in retention. Chad Lang and Jessica Jones describe how Glenwood Community School District reimagined its traditional induction model by offering extended mentoring, cohort-based networking, and collaborative professional learning. These structures address Gen Z teachers' needs for professional growth, inclusivity, and well-being, fostering a positive transition into the profession. Examining Glenwood’s approach highlights strategies for cultivating sustainable support systems that empower Gen Z educators to thrive and improve student outcomes.

Conducted annually since 1969, the PDK Poll on Public Attitudes Toward Public Education (formerly the Gallup/PDK Poll) delves into a range of education-related topics. The 2025 poll shows a small loss in confidence in the public schools, alongside strong support for career and technical education programs, addressing teacher shortages, improving teacher pay, providing security to keep students and teachers safe, and inclusion initiatives lead as priorities for school leaders and policy makers. Other topics include AI use in schools and cell phone policies.

Language learning is inherently social and emotional, yet the affective experiences of English learners (ELs) are often overlooked in schools and educational discourse. This is particularly concerning for the millions of ELs entering our schools annually. Soyoung Lee highlights the importance of foreign language anxiety (FLA), a key emotional response in language learning, by reviewing foundational literature in the field and offering practical strategies for classroom implementation. She urges educators to acknowledge and address the personal emotions of English learners in schools.

Researchers from the Center for Analysis of Longitudinal Data in Education Research at the American Institutes for Research examine two approaches to measuring teacher effectiveness: traditional value-added measures (VAMs) based on test scores and newer measures focusing on non-test outcomes like attendance and behavior. Analysis of data from 8,000 Massachusetts teachers reveals three key findings: teachers vary significantly in their effectiveness across both measures with little correlation between the two; teachers' strengths in different areas predict distinct types of student postsecondary success; and teacher impact varies based on how their particular strengths align with student achievement levels. The authors argue that educational leaders should consider multiple measures to better understand and leverage teacher effectiveness across their systems.

The shortage of classroom teachers is a national urgency. At a time when high-quality educators are most needed, the challenges of recruiting and retaining teachers are significant and escalating. One state’s unique response to this challenge offers lessons for others. Through a partnership with the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), the Community Training and Assistance Center (CTAC) developed a playbook of eight cornerstones for a successful state system for teacher recruitment, development, and retention. This playbook to prepare states to address the teacher workforce shortage and make an impact on educator recruitment, development, and retention.

Academic resilience has taken on renewed significance in the aftermath of the pandemic — a generational event that disrupted the education of more than 1.5 billion students across the globe. Unsurprisingly, cross-national research has adequately documented the profound impact of school closures on traditional cognitive domains such as reading, mathematics, and science achievement. At the same time, COVID-19 has also brought into sharper focus the important role schools play in supporting skills such as academic resilience, among others, that are commonly classified as “non-cognitive” skills, as well as their role in enhancing academic success. Yet academic resilience is often viewed as a narrow construct. Louis Volante and Don A. Klinger analyze how academic resilience has traditionally been conceptualized, along with the nature and scope of policy interventions to support students in the aftermath of the pandemic.

Kapua Chandler was raised on the rural island of Kauaʻi in Hawaiʻi but left the island for boarding school and higher education. Her values and worldview were shaped by her family and the place where she grew up, and she sought a way to bring more education opportunities to her home. Opening in fall 2025, the Namahana School will bring an ‘āina-based education to the north shore of Kauaʻi. Using the Big Picture Learning model, the school will enable students to build 21st-century skills while also remaining connected to the culture and knowledge of their community.

Educators Rising students answer the questions, “Do you experience test anxiety? If so, can you provide an example of when a test or other assessment made you anxious? What about the experience caused the most anxiety? What do you think teachers can do to help reduce student anxiety about assessments?”.

In this regular column, Starr Sackstein offers advice to educators. In this issue, she shares how schools can ensure the success of their new teachers so they feel successful right away.

Future teachers share what they want their future colleagues to know about them and their generation and describe how veteran teachers and administrators can make you feel welcome in their new school.

Every year, Educators Rising honors partners who go above and beyond to support the organization and its work for students.