Employee Feedback

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Ideas & Resources

A sustainable school is one where the people who make it thrive—teachers, staff, and administrators—are supported and valued. Allowing school employees to provide feedback is an essential part of cultivating a safe, healthy, and happy workplace. When staff members have a voice, they feel heard, respected, and empowered, which leads to increased morale, better performance, and a more cohesive school culture.

Creating a feedback culture not only addresses current challenges but also helps identify opportunities for improvement, fostering a sense of collaboration and shared purpose. By prioritizing the well-being of its workforce, a school demonstrates its commitment to sustainability not just in the environment, but also in its human resources.

Strategies to Achieve This Metric

NOTE: This is not a prescriptive list; it is intended to inspire ideas and provide examples that can be adapted to meet the unique needs and circumstances of each school community.

Establish Regular Feedback Channels
- Conduct anonymous surveys to gather input on workplace policies, challenges, and overall well-being.
- Hold open forums or town hall meetings where staff can share their thoughts directly with leadership.
Create a Safe Reporting Mechanism
- Develop systems for confidentially reporting workplace issues without fear of retaliation.
- Designate a neutral staff liaison to handle sensitive feedback.
Use Employee Feedback to Drive Decisions
- Share results from feedback initiatives and the steps taken to address concerns.
- Involve staff in decision-making processes, such as planning schedules or choosing resources.
Provide Professional Development Opportunities
- Offer training sessions based on identified needs, such as stress management, leadership skills, or technology use.
- Support staff in pursuing external certifications or degrees.
Conduct Well-Being Check-Ins
- Schedule one-on-one or small group meetings to understand individual challenges and career aspirations.
- Offer peer support programs to build a sense of community and reduce isolation.

Recognize and Celebrate Staff Contributions
- Create recognition programs to highlight achievements and efforts, both big and small.
- Celebrate milestones and organize staff appreciation events to boost morale.
Ensure Work-Life Balance
- Review workloads to ensure they are manageable and equitable.
- Encourage flexible working arrangements where possible, such as remote work or adjusted hours.
Establish a Workplace Wellness Program
- Provide mental health resources, such as access to counseling or stress-reduction workshops.
- Offer health initiatives, such as yoga sessions, fitness classes, or nutrition education.
Foster an Inclusive Workplace Culture
- Train leadership on fostering equity and inclusivity within staff relationships.
- Ensure all voices, especially from underrepresented groups, are invited and valued in feedback sessions.
Regularly Review and Adapt Policies
- Use staff input to assess the effectiveness of workplace policies and make changes as needed.
- Stay proactive in addressing issues to prevent them from escalating.

Schools hold the key to a healthy, sustainable and regenerative future.

They are role-models and incubators that that nurture, educate and prepare each generation for adult life.

Schools have a unique opportunity and profound responsibility to become part the transition to a sustainable, regenerative future in which people and planet can thrive.

But how do we get there?

START: Sustainability Tracking, Analytics & Roadmap Tool was created by schools, for schools, to help them develop comprehensive programs for step-by-step progress towards sustainability, regenerative practice, and student empowerment.

START provides a Roadmap for School Sustainability:

It breaks down school sustainability into clear actions (‘metrics’), such as Minimizing Waste, Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions, and supporting Sustainable Transportation options.

However, research shows it’s not enough for a school to simply reduce its environmental impact.

Students and staff also need to learn about sustainability, and practice it in day-to-day activities, because this impacts their attitudes and behaviors when they leave school. That’s why START includes metrics like Sustainability Events for Students, Sustainability Course Content, and Sustainable Purchasing Practices.

How sustainable is our school now?

Schools use START to measure how sustainable they are now. A school’s START team investigates how their school currently operates to find their ‘sustainability baseline’ for each metric. For example, is our school a beginner, intermediate or advanced in sustainable water use? START enables schools to benchmark, track and visualize their current sustainability levels, as well as hard data around their waste, water, energy and greenhouse gas emissions.

Where should we go next, and do we collaborate for success?

What do we need to do to ‘level up’ in each metric? Once schools have their baselines, START helps them to set goals and plan for progress. START provides a central hub for school members to collaborate, document, and plan their school’s sustainability journey.

START is a subscription-based Whole School Sustainability dashboard.

It requires at least one adult school member to create a school’s START account, but it will need a team (students, teachers and staff) to grow a Whole School Sustainability program.

Interested schools can sign up for a demo or apply to set up an account.

Learn more about START here, and consider sharing the brochure with your school.

Let’s create a better future, one school at a time.

Contact us at guides@greenschoolsalliance.org if you have a free resource to contribute or recommend that can help schools take action around this specific sustainability metric.