Dr. Erica M. Christmas serves as Director of Classified Employment at Clarksville-Montgomery County Schools, one of Tennessee's largest and fastest-growing districts. With responsibility for supporting more than 5,400 employees across certified, classified, and variable-hour roles, she has spent years developing retention-first strategies that prioritize employee morale and engagement. Here, she shares what she's learned about one of the most overlooked yet most effective tools district leaders have at their disposal.
The Reality Facing K-12 Districts
Educator burnout. Staffing shortages. Increased expectations with limited resources. If you lead in K-12 right now, you're living this reality every day.
When districts face these challenges, the instinct is often to look for big solutions. New recruitment pipelines. Complicated incentive programs. Costly initiatives that require months of planning and budget approvals. I understand that instinct. But in my experience leading classified employment for one of Tennessee's largest and fastest-growing districts, I've found that one of the most powerful tools for improving culture and keeping great people is also one of the simplest. Consistent, meaningful recognition.
Recognition as a Retention Strategy
Here's what I've learned. Recognition isn't fluff, and it isn't optional. In schools, where human connection drives performance, recognition is one of the highest-impact ways to improve morale, strengthen engagement, and boost retention across every role.
And unlike compensation initiatives that require budget approvals, long planning timelines, and recurring expenses, recognition delivers impact immediately and at minimal cost. When educators consider leaving a district (or the profession entirely), feeling seen and valued can be the difference between staying and going.
What We've Seen at CMCSS
At Clarksville-Montgomery County Schools, we support more than 5,400 employees across certified, classified, and variable-hour roles. With Montgomery County's rapid population growth, we rely on thousands of people each day to keep classrooms open, buses running, students fed, and operations moving.
Over the past several years, we've prioritized employee morale and retention through what we call "retention-first" recruitment strategies. We use external surveys, internal focus groups, and ongoing communication to measure engagement and gather insights from staff at every level. The results have been encouraging. Teacher and classified retention have improved, rising back toward pre-pandemic levels.
But even with that progress, we know the work isn't done. Recognition has been a key part of our strategy, and it's taught me something important. Recognition only works when it's done well.
Why Recognition Works When Done Right
Three qualities matter most. Timely. Specific. Consistent.
Generic praise doesn't move the needle. But when you recognize someone promptly after you observe strong practice, when you name exactly what they did and why it mattered, and when you do this reliably over time, that's when recognition transforms culture.
It strengthens belonging and purpose. It boosts engagement. It reduces burnout. And it improves culture at scale.
Think about early-career teachers, substitutes, and support staff new to the profession. They're developing their identity and confidence. Recognition tells them that they're doing important work, that their growth is visible, and that they belong here.
Research supports what I've seen firsthand. New educators often leave not because of workload alone, but because they feel unsupported or unseen. Simple, frequent praise has an outsized effect on their willingness to persist and grow.
The Real Barrier to Recognition
Even leaders who genuinely value recognition often struggle with consistency. In my experience, the reasons are less about intention and more about logistics and margin.
School leaders juggle discipline, supervision, walkthroughs, behavior crises, parent communication, compliance tasks, and more. Recognition takes a back seat, not because leaders don't care, but because the day doesn't leave room for it.
Some leaders also worry that recognizing one staff member might unintentionally diminish others, which often leads to doing nothing at all.
The solution? Build recognition into your systems. The most successful leaders I've worked with make it structural. Two handwritten notes every Friday. Five shout-outs during classroom visits. A dedicated "celebration" section on every meeting agenda. Without that structure, recognition becomes sporadic. With it, recognition becomes culture.
Don't Forget the Roles That Keep Schools Running
A healthy recognition strategy must intentionally include all employee groups. Not just teachers and administrators, but substitutes, paraprofessionals, bus drivers, custodians, cafeteria staff, and central office teams.
Substitutes often report receiving little to no feedback, positive or otherwise. Yet they play a critical role in keeping schools functioning. When schools greet substitutes by name, thank them at the end of the day, or send a quick follow-up note, those substitutes overwhelmingly choose to return and prioritize that district's jobs. The result? Higher fill rates and a stronger bench of reliable subs.
Paraprofessionals, bus drivers, custodians, and cafeteria employees often go unnoticed, yet they form the backbone of school operations. When districts invest in recognizing these roles regularly, they see stronger retention and deeper loyalty.
Simple Ways to Start Today
Recognition doesn't require a budget line or a committee. It requires intention and consistency. Here are a few places to start.
- Weekly shout-outs over the bus radio, school intercom, or newsletter
- Handwritten thank-you notes
- Peer-to-peer recognition programs
- Staff spotlights on social media or internal communications
- Listening sessions where you report back on how feedback was implemented
For a more comprehensive list of practical recognition strategies, download our checklist here.
The Bottom Line
Recognition is not a soft skill. It's a strategic leadership tool. It drives morale, shapes culture, reinforces effective practices, and keeps schools staffed.
When employees feel seen, they stay. When they feel invisible, they leave.
When employees feel appreciated, stress decreases, belonging increases, motivation rises, turnover drops, and trust in leadership grows. Recognition costs almost nothing, but the return is immeasurable.
Our students deserve educators and staff who feel valued. Recognition is how we make that happen.
