Principal Autonomy in Charter Schools and Its Impact on Teacher Turnover

• In Event: Sunday Roundtable 9:45 am
  In Roundtable Session: Stakeholder Perspectives in Charter Schools (Table 12)

Abstract

Research shows charter schools have higher teacher turnover rates than traditional public schools, and teachers of color are more prone to attrition than their white counterparts. High turnover rates lead to inexperienced teachers impacting students’ learning. Literature shows that school leadership’s support, specifically school principals' support and decision- making impacts teacher retention, and in charter schools, principals have greater autonomy; it is important to understand how they impact teacher turnover. This study looks at charter school data in Texas, to see how principal autonomy affects teachers’ retention and attrition in charter schools, especially for teachers of color—using logistic regression analysis on statewide demographic and school data to study the effects of principal autonomy on teacher turnover controlling for school characteristics.

Authors

• Ashli Duncan, University of Texas at Austin

• Wajiha Saqib, University of Texas at Austin