Chapter 6: Staffing and Retention

Let's be honest – staffing expanded learning programs has never been harder. If you’re reading this as a school administrator, you know the daily strain: you want to provide high-quality enrichment for students, but you’re forced to juggle limited budgets and compete with higher-paying sectors for workers. It feels like an impossible triangle—maintaining quality, operating within funding constraints, and attracting enough staff to meet demand. It’s exhausting to train new hires, invest in their development, and then watch them leave for full-time teaching positions or better-paying jobs just as they become most effective.

Here's the good news: ELO-P funding gives us tools to fix this. California's historic $4 billion investment creates an opportunity to reimagine how we build and support our teams. Rather than relying on short-term fixes—like hiring more part-time staff for the immediate need—we can begin to design long-term career pathways that stabilize our programs. When staffing is stable, program quality improves and students benefit from consistent, nurturing relationships with caring adults.

The challenge isn’t only about recruitment. It’s about creating positions people actually want to keep, offering wages and advancement opportunities that recognize the value of the work. The constant churn and burnout that plague expanded learning programs can be alleviated when we address structural issues—from rigid HR practices to siloed funding streams—that were never built with these programs in mind. By taking a systems-level approach, administrators can develop roles that retain talented people and make expanded learning a genuine career option, not just a stepping stone to the next job.

Below are three proven staffing models that reframe the conversation from “filling vacancies” to “creating sustainable roles.” Use these as starting points, tailoring them to fit your community’s realities and resources.

Three Staffing Models That Work

Successful expanded learning programs create roles that attract and retain talented staff. Here are three proven approaches that solve common staffing challenges.

1. The Teacher Pipeline Model

One of the most promising approaches to staffing is the Teacher Pipeline model, which converts entry-level positions into meaningful stepping stones for future educators. Staff in this model split their time between classroom support during the day and extended learning leadership after school, all while working toward a teaching credential. Research indicates that practical, on-the-job experience combined with academic preparation leads to higher retention rates and improved performance once staff become full-time teachers.

Why It Helps:.
This integrated approach addresses a core frustration: losing staff to the classroom before you’ve even leveraged their full potential in afterschool settings. By supporting their development intentionally—offering observation hours in the morning, leadership experience in the afternoon, and credential coursework woven throughout their schedule—you create a path that benefits the individual, the school, and the students. ELO-P funding helps fill critical gaps, ensuring these positions can be financially viable.

What to Watch Out For:.
Balancing the dual roles of classroom aide and afterschool leader can be demanding. Clear communication with district and school-site leadership is crucial to align schedules and expectations. Partnering with local colleges or universities can streamline credential requirements so staff can count paid work hours toward their practicum and observation requirements. Administrators who invest time in building these partnerships often see higher retention, as staff feel supported rather than pulled in conflicting directions.

2. The Community Expert Model

Another creative strategy is to bring local experts—artists, engineers, athletes, chefs—into your program. These professionals typically commit to a limited number of weekly hours, teaching high-interest content they’re passionate about. They don’t necessarily seek a career in education; rather, they want to share their expertise in a way that inspires students. This model can inject fresh energy into a program, spark student engagement, and lessen the recruitment burden by tapping into talent pools that traditional school hiring often overlooks.

Why It Helps:.
Community experts often come with their own materials, curricula, and networks, instantly elevating your program with real-world relevance. Students see firsthand what it looks like to pursue a particular art form or profession. While hourly rates for specialists may be higher than typical staff wages, they’re usually offset by the limited hours required and the savings that come from reduced staff turnover.

What to Watch Out For:.
Ensuring these experts understand youth development basics—like managing behavior or creating inclusive spaces—may require upfront orientation or support. Setting up consistent scheduling blocks and clear expectations also matters, so experts can integrate smoothly into the program. Remember, the goal is long-term connection, not just a one-off presentation.

3. The Leadership Ladder Model

Not everyone in expanded learning wants to become a classroom teacher, and that’s where the Leadership Ladder model can shine. This approach offers tiered roles within expanded learning, from entry-level activity leaders to site coordinators to program administrators. Each step comes with additional responsibilities, training, and pay increases tied to demonstrated skills—like program quality assessment or team leadership. Clear job descriptions for each level help staff see a tangible path forward and provide districts with a stable pipeline of in-house leaders.

Why It Helps:.
Leadership Ladders reduce turnover by giving staff a reason to grow within extended learning instead of viewing it as a temporary side job. In many cases, staff who never imagined themselves as managers discover a knack for coordinating teams and overseeing sites. ELO-P funding can support these professional growth steps, covering training stipends, professional development hours, or incremental pay raises.

What to Watch Out For:.
Without consistent mentorship and feedback, newly promoted staff might feel overwhelmed by their expanded duties. Providing a stipend for site coordinators or experienced staff to mentor emerging leaders can make this transition smoother. Align these mentorship efforts with your district’s broader professional development plans so that extended learning staff receive the same level of support as their school-day counterparts.

Think Creatively: The Power of Hybrid Positions

One of the biggest breakthroughs with ELO-P is the flexibility it offers to create full-time (or near full-time) hybrid positions that combine school-day and afterschool roles. Instead of having separate part-time positions—one funded by Title I or the general fund for morning classroom support, another funded by ASES or ELO-P for afternoon enrichment—why not combine them into a single job?

For example, a staff member might work as an instructional aide during school hours, then lead extended learning activities in the afternoon. The financial structure is straightforward: morning hours (typically 6.5) funded through Title I or general fund, afternoon hours (3.5) split between ASES and ELO-P allocations.

This flexible approach transforms part-time jobs into full-time careers with benefits, typically ranging from 32-40 hours per week. The combined funding sources enable higher total compensation, while shared professional development reduces training costs. Most importantly, staff who work in both programs create stronger alignment between school day and extended learning activities.

Remember, these models are starting points – use them as inspiration to create positions that work for your community and your staff.

Making It Last: Systems That Work

You don't need complex systems to build a great program – you need smart ones. Start with what's already working: integrate your extended learning staff into school-day professional development. It costs nothing extra, immediately improves your program, and sends a clear message that extended learning staff are valued members of the school community. Focus those monthly training sessions on the skills your team asks for most: behavior management, project-based learning, and student engagement strategies.

Create a staff-sharing network across sites to offer more hours and reduce coverage gaps. Use a simple spreadsheet tracking system to maintain required ratios while giving staff flexibility to build full-time schedules. Track availability, qualifications, and preferred sites. When one site needs coverage, they can quickly find qualified staff already familiar with district procedures.

Add mentorship to site coordinator roles with a small stipend ($100-200 monthly). These mentor-coordinators observe new staff, provide feedback, and help implement training concepts in real program settings. Structure the mentorship program with monthly observation cycles and specific feedback protocols. This regular support helps new staff develop skills quickly while creating leadership opportunities for experienced staff.

Partner with your county office of education to create recognized certifications that count toward ASES staffing requirements. These typically require 40-60 hours of training over 6-12 months, completed during paid work hours. Align certifications with Quality Standards for Expanded Learning, focusing on program design, youth development, and cultural competency. Use the Quality Standards self-assessment tool for quarterly check-ins focused on professional goals and program improvements. Document specific action items and follow through – this consistency shows staff their input matters.

Getting Started

Staffing might feel like a never-ending headache, but it doesn’t have to remain that way. Don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good. Start small: audit your current positions and identify just two or three opportunities for overlap. Calculate the potential savings from reduced turnover – you might be surprised how quickly this pays for itself. Draft those new job descriptions and reach out to local colleges. Remember, some of the strongest programs started with just one or two redesigned positions.

Your timeline doesn't need to be aggressive. Give yourself three months for initial planning, three months for pilot implementation, and six months to evaluate and expand. Start with your strongest sites – the ones where school leadership already champions expanded learning. Document everything, because your success will inspire others. The most successful programs use their pilot data to secure additional funding and expand these models district-wide.

These strategies don't require massive budgets or complex systems. They simply need your commitment to creating an environment where staff want to stay and grow. When you succeed, everyone wins – your staff develop meaningful careers, your program gains stability, and most importantly, your students get the consistent, quality support they deserve.

Chapter Summary

Chapter 6 addresses one of the most persistent challenges in expanded learning programs: staffing and retention. It acknowledges the difficulty administrators face in balancing quality programming, budget constraints, and staff recruitment in a competitive job market. The chapter introduces how California's ELO-P funding creates an opportunity to transform staffing approaches from short-term fixes to sustainable career pathways. Three proven staffing models are presented: the Teacher Pipeline Model, which creates pathways for future educators; the Community Expert Model, which brings local professionals into programs; and the Leadership Ladder Model, which establishes tiered roles within expanded learning. The chapter also explores the power of hybrid positions that combine school-day and afterschool roles, transforming part-time jobs into full-time careers with benefits. Finally, it outlines practical systems for professional development, staff-sharing networks, mentorship programs, and certification pathways that help build program stability without requiring complex infrastructure.

Key Takeaways

ELO-P funding provides an opportunity to redesign staffing structures that transform expanded learning from temporary positions into viable career pathways.
Hybrid positions that combine school-day and afterschool roles can leverage multiple funding streams (Title I, general fund, ASES, ELO-P) to create full-time positions with benefits.
Integrating expanded learning staff into school-day professional development costs nothing extra while immediately improving program quality and staff retention.
Simple systems like staff-sharing networks across sites, structured mentorship programs, and recognized certification pathways can significantly reduce turnover without requiring complex infrastructure.
Starting with small pilot programs at receptive school sites allows administrators to document success and build support for expanding these staffing models district-wide.

Action Checklist

Schedule a 30-minute meeting with your HR department to explore how ELO-P funds could support creating hybrid positions that combine school-day and afterschool responsibilities, potentially converting part-time roles into full-time positions with benefits.
Review your current staff roles and consider if elements of the "Leadership Ladder" model could create clearer advancement opportunities within your existing structure.
Identify your most experienced staff members and explore how they might informally mentor newer team members during regular program hours.
Reserve 10-15 minutes in an upcoming staff meeting for team members to share successful activities or management techniques they've used with students.
Consider how improved staff retention might benefit your program quality and student experience, beyond just financial savings.