1st Edition

Not One More Teacher Lost How We Can Save the Profession

By Brad Gaynor Copyright 2026
330 Pages 4 B/W Illustrations
by Routledge

330 Pages 4 B/W Illustrations
by Routledge

330 Pages 4 B/W Illustrations
by Routledge

This book is a bold, timely and deeply human call to action for one of Australia’s most trusted – and most undervalued – professions. Teachers are not just leaving classrooms; they’re leaving a profession they once loved. Brad Gaynor explains why – and what must change.   Drawing on real stories from the frontline, compelling research and decades of leadership insight, he exposes the teacher... Read more
INTRODUCTION NAVIGATION NOTES SECTION ONE: THE TRUTH ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING CHAPTER 1 – Why Teachers Leave: The Hidden Cost of Attrition CHAPTER 2 – The Numbers Are In: What the Data Really Shows CHAPTER 3 – Beyond the Myths: What the Public Gets Wrong CHAPTER 4 – Inside the Classroom: The Voice of the Profession CHAPTER 5 – Why They Stay: What Keeps Teachers Teaching CHAPTER 6 – Bright Spots: What's Working Right Now SECTION TWO: WHAT CAN BE DONE NOW CHAPTER 7 – What Teachers Can Do Now CHAPTER 8 – What Leaders Can Do Now CHAPTER 9 – What Systems Can Do Now CHAPTER 10 – What Politicians Must Do Now SECTION THREE: REBUILDING FOR THE FUTURE CHAPTER 11 – Fixing the Impossible – Redesigning Teacher Workload for Sustainability CHAPTER 12 – Building Professional Agency CHAPTER 13 – Reimagining Teacher Preparation CHAPTER 14 – Not One More Teacher: A Blueprint for Change CONCLUSION: Not One More – What Comes Next APPENDIX: For New Teachers

Biography

Brad Gaynor is a seasoned educational leader with over 35 years of experience, including 25 in school leadership. As a school performance and development leader, he champions leadership development, evidence-based practices, and school improvement. An award-winning principal and accredited coach, Brad advocates for resilient, adaptive leadership, and transformative education.

Not One More Teacher Lost is one of the most honest and practically grounded examinations of the teacher workforce crisis I have read. Rather than blaming individuals or offering superficial fixes, this book names the structural realities driving attrition and offers a clear, evidence based blueprint for reform. It is essential reading for anyone serious about rebuilding a sustainable, high quality education system.”

Senior Education System Leader, QLD

Not One More Teacher Lost puts words to what so many school leaders and teachers are experiencing but rarely have the space or permission to say out loud. It is rigorous, compassionate, and deeply practical. Brad Gaynor doesn’t just diagnose the problem, he shows what can be done now, soon, and systemically to restore dignity, trust, and sustainability in teaching.”

School Principal, WA

“Brilliant! Not One More Teacher Lost is an absolute must for anyone involved in education. If used to its full potential, it provides governments, departments, and schools with a clear, teacher-authenticated roadmap for meaningful change. This book is not just thought provoking, it is action enabling.”

Education Wellbeing Consultant, ACT

“Thank you for writing about the realities of teaching in such a thoughtful, honest, and realistic way. This book validates what teachers are experiencing and offers meaningful strategies to enact change. It deserves to be read by teachers, leaders, policymakers, and parents alike.”

Middle Leader, ACT

Not One More Teacher Lost offers an authentic examination of the real challenges teachers face each day and underscores the necessity of action to retain dedicated professionals. As a rural teacher, I found both validation and hope.”

Year 1 Teacher, Rural NSW

“Reading this book felt like seeing the unfiltered truth of the teaching profession laid bare. It captures exhaustion and strain while still honouring purpose, connection, and moral commitment.”

Learning Diversity Teacher

“Knowledge guides our future, yet teaching now feels uncertain. Not One More Teacher Lost captures how we arrived here and maps a possible future for a stronger system.”

Teacher Librarian

Not One More Teacher Lost bridges a rare gap between research, policy, and lived experience. Drawing on contemporary evidence and frontline insight, it offers a compelling and credible framework for understanding teacher attrition and for addressing it.”

University Professor, SA

“Finally, a book that tells the truth about teaching without turning it into a blame game. Not One More Teacher Lost validates our experience, respects our professionalism, and reminds us why this work still matters.”

Classroom Teacher, VIC

“This feels like the book a lot of teachers and school leaders have been waiting for. It cuts through the myths and names the issue for what it really is, a system design problem, not a motivation or resilience failure.”

School Principal, ACT

“Clear. Courageous. Urgently needed. Not One More Teacher Lost is not another report on what’s broken in education. It is a practical, human centred roadmap for rebuilding a profession worth staying in.”

Classroom Teacher, TAS

“This book is confronting in the best way. It does not cast principals as villains, but it also doesn’t let us off the hook. It names system failures honestly and challenges leaders to act with courage where we can.”

School Principal, NSW

Not One More Teacher Lost offers one of the clearest explanations of the gap between system intent and classroom impact I have read. It is challenging, fair, and deeply grounded in evidence.”

Senior System Leader, ACT

Not One More Teacher Lost captures the very important issues. I will be recommending this book for leadership team book clubs.”

Educational Leadership Coach, VIC