The Link Between Teacher Retention and Affordable Housing
June 01, 2025
Bentonville, Ark., is feeling some growing pains. Affordable housing has become the most critical challenge in our city. In Bentonville鈥檚 schools, which serve almost 20,000 students, the market has made it difficult for teachers, especially those just starting their careers, to secure housing.
A 2023 report by Bentonville city government鈥檚 Housing Affordability Workgroup identified the region as the country鈥檚 most competitive small rental market, with home prices in Northwest Arkansas climbing faster than anywhere in the nation. The report highlighted a perfect storm afflicting the region鈥檚 housing market, including rising interest rates and workforce expansions of major players such as Walmart, J.B. Hunt and Tyson Foods.
The result is a tighter squeeze on an already limited housing supply, driving up prices and driving educators elsewhere. In recent years, I鈥檝e hired new teachers only to accept their resignations before setting foot in the classroom because they couldn鈥檛 find a nearby place to live. But with help from Excellerate Foundation, a nonprofit in Northwest Arkansas, we are changing the outlook.
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This essay is part of a series called "Winning Ideas from Winning Superintendents." To view the other essays in the series, visit the June publication page.
As a central part of the applications for the National Superintendent of the Year program that 萝卜AV视频manages annually, every state-level nominee is required to complete a series of four essays. The prompts require each superintendent to draw on the totality of their experiences over time to capture in words their leadership for learning philosophy and accomplishments, public communication skills, community involvement and professionalism.
Each of the submitted essays, running 1,000 words or less, captures the sharp thinking and meritorious actions taken by those leaders or the school systems they oversee.
In the pages that follow, we鈥檝e dubbed them 鈥渨inning ideas鈥� from 18 of the 49 state-level honorees in 2025 (Hawaii does not have a state applicant) in the National Superintendent of the Year program.
鈥� Jay P. Goldman
Full Roster of State Honorees:鈥俆he limitations of space prevent us from featuring every educator recognized in the 2025 National Superintendent of the Year program. A complete roster of each state鈥檚 award winner, along with their biographies and photos, can be found on the .
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