It isn’t a stick that breaks the camel’s back. It’s a stick that lands on top of a pile of branches that the normally strong beast can carry. But that extra stick just makes it too much. The camel refuses to budge at this point.
Many teachers in today’s schools deal with carrying too much weight as well. Teacher burnout, low pay, lack of administrative support, and growing job demands make teachers want to stop and refuse to budge. They often transfer to different schools, quit, or retire.
Keeping good teachers is a high priority among school boards and administrations. Retaining them contributes to a stable learning environment, enriches the growth of relationships with scholars, and benefits both by giving teachers time to refine their instructional strategies.
According to a study by Education Resource Strategies, 23% of U.S. teachers departed from their schools during the 2022-23 school year. Schools with the highest concentrations of low-income families experience as much as 29% teacher departure in the same school year.
These statistics refer to traditional public school teachers. But what about charter schools? Do they have a high teacher turnover? Charter schools have much more flexibility than district schools and do a great deal to mitigate a high teacher turnover rate. Let’s take a look at how charter schools can help with this issue. We’ll examine:
- The impact of teacher turnover on scholars
- Why teachers are leaving the profession
- How charter schools can help reduce teacher turnover
The Impact of Teacher Turnover on Scholars
The relationship between a teacher and a scholar is an emotionally charged dynamic. The teacher desires that scholars perform to their potential, i.e., doing their best to learn what’s being taught.
Scholars, on the other hand, desire to please their teachers and to receive attention and praise from them. A study published in Frontiers in Psychology says that teacher-child relationships are a “critical influence” on children’s adaptation to and success in school.
When teachers with this kind of scholarly attachment leave the profession, it creates a disruption within the learning community’s stability. Scholars then must begin to forge new relationships with teachers they don’t yet know.
When a child’s classroom teacher is someone they don’t know, their motivation takes a downturn with the initial uncertainty. Scholars aren’t yet familiar with the new teacher’s style and expectations. Over time, as scholars and their new teacher get to know each other, motivation increases.
Why Teachers Are Leaving the Profession
The final stick on the camel’s back isn’t just a twig; it’s a hefty, elephantine mass of wood. In other words, the increasing demands placed on educators are tremendous. Teachers are burning out on the combined responsibilities of lesson planning, teaching the lessons, grading, administrative tasks, addressing diverse scholar needs, adapting classroom activity to new learning technology, and spending time in meetings with school staff.
Teachers deal with large class sizes, disruptive behavior, and the stress of bridging student learning gaps that have developed since the COVID-19 era.
In addition, teachers earn significantly less compensation than other professionals with similar education levels. On average, teachers are paid 26.4% less annually.
Teachers have to make do with insufficient resources, outdated materials, and inadequate administrative support, which leaves them feeling unappreciated.
Scholars embroiled with problems at home often leave teachers in the position of being a social worker or counselor when the teacher doesn’t have adequate skills or background to help them.
And finally, most public school teachers are paid on a scale depending on their college-level degrees and the number of years they have taught. Such a scale does not provide opportunities for teachers to earn more compensation. They simply have to put in the time.
All of the above reasons, combined, lead to a declining morale. Along with public distrust in education and politicizing education, 82% of public school teachers say the state of education has worsened in recent years.
How Charter Schools Can Help Reduce Teacher Turnover
Charter schools can help mitigate high teacher departures in our schools by offering:
- Higher salaries and performance-based pay. Some charter networks offer competitive compensation or performance-based incentives to retain their teachers.
- Stronger professional development: Many charter schools invest in ongoing training, coaching, and mentorship programs to help teachers grow in their careers.
- Reduced bureaucracy: Since charter schools operate more flexibly than traditional public schools, they can implement innovative policies that improve work-life balance, such as adjusted schedules or smaller class sizes.
- Retention bonuses and loan forgiveness: Some schools offer financial incentives, such as signing bonuses, retention stipends, or student loan forgiveness programs, to encourage educators to remain in their roles.
- Targeted hiring and school fit: Charter schools often focus on hiring teachers who align with their missions and school culture, leading to better job satisfaction and longevity.
- Smaller classes and parent involvement: Charter schools usually have fewer scholars in a class than traditional schools; thus, teachers can provide adequate attention to their scholars. Parents are viewed as partners in their children’s education.
Conclusion
Like one domino falling and leading to a cascading effect on all, when teachers burn out and leave the education field, it affects the teachers’ scholars and their families as well.
The Leman Academy of Excellence, a K-8 classical education charter school with campuses in Arizona and Colorado, works hard to retain good teachers. They offer a competitive benefits package and compensation that matches teachers’ talent, experience, and education. In addition, they encourage their teachers to pursue advanced degrees in the education field.
The Leman Academy also encourages parents to explore how their approach benefits both its scholars as well as teachers. Find out more about the Leman Academy here.
Plan a Visit and Discover the High-Quality Educators That Teach at the Leman Academy of Excellence.