New NC Research Hub Aims to Improve Teacher Retention Across the State
The NC State College of Education has launched its fifth Interdisciplinary Research Hub. This new hub, called Improving Teacher Retention in North Carolina (ITR-NC), aligns with the college’s Strategic Plan: 2023–2030. It aims to improve teacher retention by creating a collaborative space for ideas and solutions.
ITR-NC brings together policymakers, educators, leaders, and researchers. Together, they will explore practical ways to support teachers and strengthen the state’s education workforce. In addition, the hub will help build a statewide research agenda that highlights innovative ideas and identifies promising practices.
Statewide Research and Collective Action
The team will interview researchers across North Carolina and the United States. These interviews will help gather fresh recommendations for improving teacher retention. The group will also talk with teachers, school leaders, and education-focused organizations to understand what strategies have worked and what challenges remain. As a result, the hub will share its findings with state leaders through two research briefs distributed to agencies and educational networks.
Core members of the hub include Assistant Professor Lam Pham, Associate Professor Jill Grifenhagen, Research Scholar Sarah Bausell, Associate Professor Tim Drake, Research Scholars Jamie Gillespie and Kevin Winn, and Research Assistant Aaron Arenas.
Pham emphasized why the work matters. He noted that teachers remain the most important school-based influence on student learning. However, teacher retention in North Carolina has declined in recent years. Therefore, the state now needs a unified effort to improve teacher retention and strengthen student outcomes.
The new hub joins four other interdisciplinary hubs created in 2023 and 2024. Each hub focuses on solving urgent educational issues through collaboration, innovation, and research-driven action.
