Teacher Satisfaction and Turnover in Charter Schools: Examining the Variations and Possibilities for Collective Bargaining in State Laws

Torres, A. Chris; Oluwole, Joseph O.

doi:10.1080/15582159.2015.1079468

Cited by 8 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 12 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Although our findings indicate that turnover among the ASD schools was higher than the iZone and other priority schools and that more effective teachers were more likely to leave the ASD schools, the reasons for the turnover could not be established with the data available for this study. Prior research indicates that particularly in charter schools, turnover appears to be associated with a decline in teachers’ trust in the principal, salary and benefits, and difficult working conditions such as the heavy workload and management of student discipline (Gross & DeArmond, 2010; Malloy & Wohlstetter, 2003; Miron & Applegate, 2007; Stuit & Smith, 2010; Torres, 2016, 2016; Torres & Oluwole, 2015). However, the prevalence of Teach For America teachers in schools managed by CMOs, their 2-year service commitment, and their associations with departing from teaching more quickly than most other novice teachers (Henry, Bastian, & Smith, 2012) may be another credible hypothesis.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Effects of School Turnaround in Tennessee’s Achievement School District and Innovation Zones

Zimmer

Henry

Kho

2017

Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

In recent years, the federal government has invested billions of dollars to reform chronically low-performing schools. To fulfill their federal Race to the Top grant agreement, Tennessee implemented three turnaround strategies that adhered to the federal restart and transformation models: (a) placed schools under the auspices of the Achievement School District (ASD), which directly managed them; (b) placed schools under the ASD, which arranged for management by a charter management organization; and (c) placed schools under the management of a district Innovation Zone (iZone) with additional resources and autonomy. We examine the effects of each strategy and find that iZone schools, which were separately managed by three districts, substantially improved student achievement. In schools under the auspices of the ASD, student achievement did not improve or worsen. This suggests that it is possible to improve schools without removing them from the governance of a school district.

show abstract

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Effects of School Turnaround in Tennessee’s Achievement School District and Innovation Zones

Zimmer

Henry

Kho

2017

Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…It also sheds light on some key areas for further research. The expansion of charter schools creates challenges with regard to teacher turnover, overwork, and lack of job security (Torres, 2014), aspects of the system that have been relatively understudied. Longitudinal studies could examine the movement of teachers within the system in New Orleans and variation in teacher salaries and benefits.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Therefore, compared with other districts, school leaders have, theoretically, greater flexibility in teacher pay. The greater reliance on recruiting teachers through programs such as TFA with temporary contracts may create adverse impacts in terms of turnover (Torres, 2014), or the sustainability of the local teacher labor market. There have been informal reports that charter schools aggressively recruit teachers, locally and nationally, and there is reported fierce competition among schools to attract and retain educators, including poaching teachers from other schools, even midyear (Holly et al, 2015).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Recruiting “Talent”: School Choice and Teacher Hiring in New Orleans

Jabbar

2017

Educational Administration Quarterly

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine school leaders’ preferences and practices in an environment of widespread decentralization, privatization, and school choice. In New Orleans, such reforms have been enacted citywide since Hurricane Katrina, making it an ideal site to examine what happens when policy makers lift restrictions for school leaders—and remove protections for teachers—related to teacher hiring on a large scale. Research Methods/Approach: In this exploratory study, I analyze qualitative data to examine school leaders’ preferences and practices when recruiting teachers in New Orleans. The data for the study come from 94 interviews with principals, district leaders, and charter network leaders. Findings: School leaders had different conceptions of “talent” and “fit,” and used a variety of strategies to recruit teachers. School districts and charter networks both supported and constrained school leaders’ autonomy and recruitment practices by screening applicants or setting guidelines and criteria. Other intermediary organizations also played a role in shaping the teacher labor market. School choice also posed unique challenges for teacher recruitment. Implications: Overall, expansive choice policies in New Orleans appear to foster flexibility and variation in teacher hiring strategies (although not in salary), as expected in a decentralized system. However, these policies and strategies appear also to have other consequences, including greater instability or “churn,” unpredictability, and a bifurcated teaching force.

show abstract

“…Given the limited research on working conditions in charter schools, our work adds to this literature, identifying teachers’ perceptions on their workload and working conditions, and the strategies and tactics they use to change those conditions. Research has found that charter schools, for example, have higher rates of teacher turnover (Chris Torres, 2014, 2016; Stuit & Smith, 2012), and researchers have outlined the possibilities in collective bargaining laws to address those concerns (Torres & Oluwole, 2015). Our work, by speaking to teachers directly about these issues, examines the specific strategies teachers are using to address their working conditions, particularly instability due to turnover.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Teacher Power and the Politics of Union Organizing in the Charter Sector

et al. 2019

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Despite the growing media attention paid to charter-school unions, comparatively little empirical research exists. Drawing on interview data from two cities (Detroit, MI, and New Orleans, LA), our exploratory study examined charter-school teachers’ motivations for organizing, the political and power dimensions, and the framing of unions by both teachers and administrations. We found that improving teacher retention, and thus school stability, was a central motivation for teacher organizers, whereas, simultaneously, high teacher turnover stymied union drives. We also found that charter administrators reacted with severity to nascent unionization drives, harnessing school-as-family metaphors and at-will contracts to prevent union formation. As the charter sector continues to grow, understanding why teachers want unions and how those unions differ from traditional public school unions is crucial to analyzing the long-term viability of these schools and the career trajectories of the teachers who work in them.

show abstract

Teacher Satisfaction and Turnover in Charter Schools: Examining the Variations and Possibilities for Collective Bargaining in State Laws

Cited by 8 publications

References 12 publications

The Effects of School Turnaround in Tennessee’s Achievement School District and Innovation Zones

The Effects of School Turnaround in Tennessee’s Achievement School District and Innovation Zones

Recruiting “Talent”: School Choice and Teacher Hiring in New Orleans

Teacher Power and the Politics of Union Organizing in the Charter Sector

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About