Charter Schools, Leadership, and Teacher Turnover: A Difference Between Sectors?

• In Event: Roundtable Session 50
  In Roundtable Session: Understanding Differences in Charter School Outcomes

Abstract

While school choice and teacher turnover have received considerable attention, little work has explored the role of school type in the teacher turnover process. Charters may be better situated than traditional schools to create the environments that reduce turnover, but charter schools have higher rates of turnover than traditional schools. Using multi-level logistic regression, and data from a large project conducted by the National Center on School Choice at Vanderbilt University, this study explores this relationship. Specifically, the study examines the ways in which teacher characteristics and school workplace conditions explain the increased rates of turnover in charter schools. Findings indicate that the charter effect on turnover is attenuated after accounting for certification, salary, and teacher perceptions of leadership.

Authors

• Ean Fonseca, Johns Hopkins University

• Marc L. Stein, Johns Hopkins University