This policy brief from the Southern Education Foundation outlines the challenges caused by a lack of emphasis on social and emotional learning (SEL) skills in teachers along with recommendations for how school leaders and teacher preparation programs can better support the development of SEL skills. The lack of these skills has contributed to high rates of absenteeism and turnover, poorly affecting students and districts, particularly districts with high percentages of students from low-income households. Using the CASEL 5 definition for SEL, the brief offers recommendations for improving teachers’ SEL skills, including engaging preservice teachers with CASEL 5 and mindfulness practices. The brief, which includes examples of school districts working toward improving teacher and adult SEL development, offers specific policy and practice recommendations for districts, school leaders, and teacher preparation programs. These recommendations include assessing the impact of monetary attendance incentives, exploring teacher well-being and job-related stressors to target interventions, and using Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief funds to address the root causes of teacher shortages.