Every fall, I notice the same pattern: teachers start strong, riding on back-to-school energy, excited to try all the ideas they saved on Pinterest over the summer, but by October, the burnout begins to creep in. This year, though? It’s already showing up, and it’s only mid-September. The teachers I talk with are reporting exhaustion faster than ever, and that should make us all pause.
So it begs the question: What does it actually mean for a school to fail?
How We Usually Define “School Failure”
When we hear the phrase “failing school,” most people think of:
Low standardized test scores
Poor state report cards
High dropout rates
Accreditation warnings
Those are the metrics policymakers love to point to. But ask any teacher, and you’ll get a very different picture.
How Teachers Experience “School Failure”
Failure isn’t just numbers on a page—it’s the lived reality inside classrooms. It looks like:
Teachers are so burnt out that they’re leaving mid-year
Students’ basic needs (safety, mental health, belonging) are going unmet
Administrators are pushing compliance over creativity (and connection)
Mandates that strip away joy and professional autonomy
The truth is, schools often start to “fail” teachers long before test scores ever dip. And when teachers don’t feel supported or valued, it directly impacts students, families, and communities.
New Definition of “School Failure”
Now, when I think of schools failing, I think of schools no longer able to keep enough adults on staff to keep their doors open. It makes me sad to consider it, but I've already seen it happen because of shortages of substitute/supply teachers. I've heard stories of one elementary school teacher "covering" two classes in the gym because only 2 of 4 third-grade teachers were able to come to work that day.Local and state governments put together committees to address "The Teacher Shortage" or "The Teacher Crisis" years ago. How many of us can say we've seen any improvement? 🙋🏻♀️ (If you have, please email me and share your story. I would really love to share what your school/district is doing in the hopes it inspires others.)My fear is that until schools start to really experience my new definition of failure, they'll continue to exhaust and exploit teachers. Then, when they've finally driven out too many teachers to keep their doors open, they'll finally listen to teachers and/or look to schools that appear to be thriving and learn from their examples.
What If We Flipped the Script?
If my new definition of failure is when schools can no longer staff enough adults to keep classrooms running, then maybe the opposite is also true: a thriving school is one where teachers want to stay, grow, and do their best work.
Instead of defining failure only by numbers, what if we defined success by the people at the heart of it?
Think about the way magazines run their “Best Places to Work” lists. Why couldn’t we have a “Great Place to Teach” designation? Imagine if schools were recognized not just for test scores and data points, but for things like:
Teacher job satisfaction
Professional autonomy
Administrative support
Respectful work culture
Opportunities for growth
Balance between work and life
Wouldn’t that shift the conversation—and the incentives?
Your Turn
I’d love to hear from you: What criteria would you include in a “Great Place to Teach” designation?
Drop your ideas in the comments or share this blog with a fellow teacher who has thoughts. The more voices we add to this conversation, the harder it is to ignore.
Because at the end of the day, schools don’t fail because of bad teaching; schools fail when they stop listening to teachers.