Understanding Teacher Attrition in Charter Schools: Principal Dispositions and Practices

• In Event: Roundtable Session 16
  In Roundtable Session: Charter School Funding, Funding Applications, and Teacher Retention

Abstract

The purpose of this research study was to examine charter principals’ dispositions and practices that may have contributed to high rates of teacher attrition in charter schools. This three year embedded case study involved the author analyzing principal and teacher interviews, observational data, and artifacts through the constant comparative method. Results indicated that principal dispositions, which may have been influenced by their autonomy as charter principals, led to practices that were not supportive of teacher retention.

Authors

• Dana L. Bickmore, Louisiana State University

• Margaret-Mary Sulentic Dowell, Louisiana State University - Baton Rouge