A study published by the National Center for the Study of Privatization In Education at Teachers College, Columbia University, shows that a teacher will leave the profession versus stay in the same school are 132 percent greater for charter school teachers than they are for regular public school teachers. The study also says that a teacher will switch schools rather than stay at the same school are 76 percent higher for the charter teachers.
The research draws on national survey data for the 2003-04 school year. It found that 25 percent of charter school teachers turned over that year, compared to 14 percent of traditional public school teachers. Fourteen percent of the charter teachers left the profession altogether and 11 percent moved to a different school. Among the public school teachers, 7 percent left the profession and 7 percent switched schools.
The more-polished version of the study also includes some additional calculations aimed at pinpointing the reasons why so many more charter teachers are leaving. Are they quitting in frustration or leaving involuntarily?
Mostly the former, according to these researchers. “Compared to traditional public school teachers,” they write, “charter school teachers are more likely to voluntarily leave the profession or move to a new school because they are dissatisfied with the school and its working conditions.”
I have just sent my latest book to my publisher. It deals with what school administrators can do to stop teachers from leaving the profession. Are you aware that the teacher dropout rate is higher than the student dropout rate. Teachers dropping out is 46% over 5 years while the student dropout rate is only (sic) 30% over 4 years. Look here for the announcement about when the book will be published as well as an excerpt from it in the “Resources” section of the website.