Linking Teacher Turnover and Student Behavior in Charter Organizations: The Negotiation of Order, Resistance, and Relationships

• In Event: 60.083 - Roundtable Session 19
  In Roundtable Session: 60.083-11 - The Effects of Individuals on Charter Schools

Abstract

This study draws from in-depth interviews collected in 2011 with former “no excuses” charter school (NECS) teachers to explain how and why teachers’ perceptions of student behavior and the highly structured school-wide disciplinary systems of their schools influenced decisions to leave their schools. Research consistently finds that perceptions of student behavior and motivation are some of the strongest predictors of teacher satisfaction and turnover, particularly in urban schools. Yet this literature focuses predominantly on traditional public schools that lack clear, consistent policies and practices to help teachers manage student behavior. This study extends the literature on teacher turnover by showing how teachers’ sense of success is shaped by their perceptions of NECS disciplinary expectations, and how this impacts teacher turnover.

Author

• Chris Torres, Michigan State University