The Circle of Support That Cuts Teacher Turnover in Half - Lisa Guilbeau

A Conversation with Lisa Guilbeau on Transforming Teacher Retention **What if the answer to our nation's teacher shortage wasn't recruiting more teachers—but keeping the ones we have?** In this episode, we discover how one innovative program is cutting teacher turnover in half by wrapping new educators in a circle of support so comprehensive it transforms their entire career trajectory. Spoiler alert: it starts with believing in them from day one. About Our Guest Lisa Guilbeau serves as the TAP (Teacher Advancement Program) Director at the Central Savannah River Regional Education Service Agency (CSRA-RESA), where she leads initiatives designed to attract, develop, and retain exceptional educators. Drawing from her own experience as a classroom teacher who once questioned her calling, Lisa brings both expertise and profound empathy to her work supporting beginning teachers through their critical first years. What You'll Learn Discover why traditional teacher certification often fails our newest educators—and how the TAP program's innovative model of ongoing mentorship, peer collaboration, and systematic feedback is rewriting the retention story in Georgia and beyond. Through Lisa's passionate insights, you'll explore the spiritual calling at the heart of teaching, the real barriers beginning teachers face, and the practical systems that actually work to build confidence, competence, and commitment. Key Takeaways ✓ **The Power of Genuine Circle Support**: Beginning teachers who receive continuous feedback and encouragement from multiple mentors experience dramatically higher retention rates and professional growth ✓ **Redefine Expertise**: You don't need to be a middle school math expert to teach middle school math—what matters is understanding teaching methodology and instructional strategies that work across content areas ✓ **The First-Year Crisis Is Real**: Many passionate educators want to quit within their first few years, not because they lack calling, but because they lack the right support system ✓ **Teaching as Sacred Work**: When we honor teaching as a fundamental human calling—one Jesus himself chose—we shift how we recruit, support, and retain educators ✓ **Systemic Solutions Over Individual Heroics**: The answer to teacher burnout isn't grit; it's building structures of accountability, mentorship, and community that sustain careers for decades ### Notable Quotes *"If that is your heart, then you're gonna—we're gonna walk right beside you through this whole process. We're gonna help you, encourage you, we're gonna build the confidence that you need."* *"They're basically getting this huge circle of support with ongoing feedback from so many people, which is another reason I love our TAP program because, traditionally, you don't get that full circle of support."* *"I know the Lord called me there, but there were times when I wanted to give up."* *"Out of all the professions that God chose for his own son, Jesus, teaching was the one... teaching was that primary purpose."* --- **Ready to transform teacher retention in your district?** Listen now to discover the actionable strategies Lisa Guilbeau and CSRA-RESA are using to cut turnover in half—and to be reminded why supporting our teachers is one of the most important investments we can make in our schools and communities. **Subscribe to stay connected** with insights and conversations designed to help education leaders build stronger, more resilient schools.