Talent Talks Blog
Insights on compensation strategy, performance evaluation, workforce planning, retention, and effective organizational leadership for education, mission-driven, and nonprofit organizations.
Strategic Staffing in a Season of Disruption: What It Really Takes to Build Stability
TL;DR: Kerri-Ann Pitts | April 2026 Dear EdFuel Community, A year ago, I wrote what became one of the most vulnerable reflections of my career — leading through a reduction in force and what it required of me as a people-centered leader. I wasn’t sure how it would land. But the response told me something important: […]
Leading in the Tension: What It Takes to Support Teams Amid Uncertainty
Nicole Pratt | February 2026 Every year, the first sign of spring for me isn’t the green grass or leaves on the trees, it’s the daffodil leaves. Thin green shoots pushing up when the air still feels cold and the ground looks unchanged. They’re easy to miss, but once I notice them, I know something […]
Who Gets to Grow? Rethinking Fairness in Team Development
Nicole Pratt | November 2025 As the year wraps up—or reaches its midpoint for those in schools—it’s a natural time to reflect on how we support and grow our teams. At EdFuel, we believe strong organizations grow from within. When we invest in developing our people for future opportunities, both within and beyond our walls, […]
Retention Strategies for New Staff: Setting Your Team Up for Success
Saima Zaman | October 2025 It’s October, and I always think back to my time as a Director of Talent and HR in New Orleans. At this point in the school year, everyone was ready for Fall Break.Yet, I also remember seeing the weariness on teachers’ faces as we counted down the days. Many principals […]
What Gets Valued, Gets Paid: Six Questions for Fair Compensation Design
Rachel Nozari | September 2025 In almost every organization I’ve worked with, I’ve sat with staff who discovered they were being paid less than colleagues doing comparable work — sometimes thousands of dollars less. The frustration in those moments isn’t just about the money; it’s about fairness, trust, and dignity. Those conversations stay with me, […]
The Next Generation of Teachers Starts Here: Onboarding Gen Z Teachers
Ashleigh Phillis | August 2025 In a recent group chat, one of my friends shared that millennials were being “erased for the next generation.” This slightly dramatic declaration stemmed from her discovery of a work resource where the descriptor was crossed out, and underneath, a new one had appeared for Generation Z. Gone are the […]
Mid-Summer Check-In: EdFuel’s Tips for Staying on Track and Recharged
EdFuel | July 2025 You know that feeling, coming back from vacation and immediately thinking, “I need a vacation from my vacation.” We’ve all been there. This year, I was determined to break that cycle. A few weeks ago, we had our summer quiet week at EdFuel, and my family hit the road for our […]
Leading Through the Hardest Moments
Kerri-Ann Nesbeth | April 2025 Dear EdFuel Community, You may have noticed in our last newsletter that our team has gotten smaller. Like many nonprofit and educational organizations recently, we have had to navigate reduced funding, which ultimately led us to implement a reduction in force last year. While this is something no organization ever […]
When Intent to Return and Stay Conversations Don’t Match: What Now?
Marguerite Thibodeaux | March 2025 “In the intent to return survey, 100% of staff said they plan to return, but we know that at least a handful are really on the fence. How do we recruit just in case they leave without scaring off faculty that see their job posted?” Each spring, schools across […]
Building a Recruitment Strategy that Starts with Heart (and Actually Works) – The “E.G.O.S.” Method
Ryan Osborne | February 2025 It’s February. If you’re not already thinking about next year, let this be a reminder to start! We all know that recruiting teachers and school staff is no small task. In today’s hiring market, it’s tough out there. But here’s the good news: you can build a strong recruitment […]
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