A Guide to Stay Interviews

Keep great teachers by having the right conversations.

Updated July 6, 2026

Two women sit on a bench in front of a window and wall with children's drawings on it. They are smiling at each other and have notebooks in the laps.

Stay interviews are simple, one-on-one conversations where school leaders check in with staff to understand their experience and make meaningful improvements while they're still part of your team. This guide includes question prompts, sample scripts, and a follow-up tracker to help you listen, act, and retain.

Why try it

Stay interviews help you understand what’s working, what support your staff need, and what keeps them motivated. When you listen and act on feedback, you build trust, improve morale, and increase staff retention.

What's included

Browse the printables included with this resource.

A Guide to Stay Interviews

What's included

TGIF Reflection

Sticky Note Check-In

Four Square Responses

Meaningful 1:1s

You Said, We Did Board

Coaching Conversations That Count

A School Staff Exercise: Start, Stop, Continue

Postcard Goal Check

Little Wins Newsletter