1.  Teachers are uniquely disempowered in the workplace
“The Bad News: Teachers are dead last among the occupational groups Gallup surveyed in terms of their likelihood to say their opinions seem to count at work. In the absence of school leaders who build opportunities for collaboration among teachers and between teachers and administrators, many teachers feel isolated and disempowered. Increased use of high-stakes testing at the state and district levels may be exacerbating this problem by limiting teachers’ control over their own work.”

​- Gallup- State of American Schools, 2013

2.  As a result, schools lose passionate teachers, and it costs in dollars and innovation.
"Roughly half a million U.S. teachers either move or leave the profession each year—attrition that costs the United States up to $2.2 billion annually. This high turnover rate disproportionately affects high-poverty schools and seriously compromises the nation’s capacity to ensure that all students have access to skilled teaching, according to this Alliance report."

​- Alliance for Excellent Education, July 2014

Exactly how much does teacher attrition cost? Calculate it yourself here.

“Their findings suggest that teacher retention and student achievement on standardized tests increase at a faster rate when school context is strengthened. In an era of education reform highly focused on teacher quality this study demonstrates the need for both individual and organizational solutions to improve student achievement. Placing high-quality teachers amidst organizational dysfunction has little chance for successful school turnaround.”

​- VCU Report

"At-risk schools spend scarce dollars on teacher turnover. Low performing, high minority, and high poverty schools expend scarce resources on teacher turnover. Because teacher attrition rates in these at-risk schools are chronically high, turnover costs become a drain on already scarce resources that could otherwise be invested to improve teaching effectiveness and student growth."- "The Cost of Teacher Turnover in Five School Districts",

​By Gary Barnes, Ph.D. Consultant National Commission on Teaching and America’s Future and Edward Crowe, Ph.D.

​3. School Climate and Staff Morale Affect Student Achievement

"In addition to the research on teacher morale and the factors that influence it, there is a body of research reports on the relationship of teacher morale to student achievement. Hunter-Boykin and Evans (1995) stated that higher teacher morale results in a more effective academic environment. Conversely, Wentworth (1990) stated that a low morale has a negative effect on student achievement. In Araki’s (1982) three year study, he examined leadership in both public and private schools in the state of Hawaii. He found a direct correlation between the leadership style and practices of the principal, teacher morale level, and student SAT scores. In addition, Houchard (2005) analyzed the effect of teacher morale on student achievement as measured by the North Carolina End- of-Course Test scores. He also found teacher morale to be positively and significantly correlated to these test scores."

- "THE EFFECTS OF PRINCIPAL LEADERSHIP ON TEACHER MORALE AND STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT",
​The University of Houston, 2012

"Most striking, students showed higher gains in math achievement when their teachers reported frequent conversations with their peers that centered on math, and when there was a feeling of trust or closeness among teachers. In other words, teacher social capital was a significant predictor of student achievement gains above and beyond teacher experience or ability in the classroom. And the effects of teacher social capital on student performance were powerful."

​- Carrie Leana, Stanford Social Innovation Review, 2011

​4. School Morale Depends Largely on School Leadership

"The research includes several studies that address a principal’s influence on teacher morale and teacher job satisfaction. “Clearly, the Principal is the key figure in raising teacher morale and commitment” (Lester, 1990, p. 274). Others have concurred that a school’s leadership has a vitally important role in the total climate of the school and the morale of the school’s teachers (Kelley, Thornton, & Daugherty, 2005; Butt, Lance, Fielding, Gunter, Rayner, & Thomas, 2005; Rhodes, Nevill, & Allan, 2004; Evans, 1997)."

In D.C., our lowest performing, high poverty schools have troubling turnover.

​While average turnover is 25% in DC, teacher turnover in the highest poverty schools is 33 % from year to year and 70% leave their schools within five years- well above national averages, 80% in Wards 5 and 8. That has a tremendously negative effect on students, families and the school at large. Each year, 25% of DCPS schools open with a new principal. Our communities need stability to flourish. In DC charter schools, 20% of schools have turnover rates over 40 % annually. Adult relationships are critical to student success, and a revolving door of adult role models hurts our students' ability to succeed in school and beyond.

We estimate that DC has lost $40 MILLION over the last 5 years that it would have kept if we had the average turnover rate for urban districts.

DC policy can adversely affects innovation in low-performing schools- but promising changes on the horizon.

The lower the test scores, the lower the autonomy. While not the designed intent, this prescription is dangerous for our low-income, low-performing schools. It means a lack of teacher voice and autonomy quashes innovation and drives the most inspired teachers away from the schools where they are needed the most. DCPS is currently working to build local autonomy and allow greater flexibility for school leaders- which is a promising shift. Driving innovation out of low-performing schools is a dangerous precedent.  Furthermore- it's a matter of equity. All of our students deserve the same high quality instruction. All students need and deserve a well-rounded curriculum including social studies, science, the arts and experiential learning that help build the knowledge that serve as building blocks for literacy.