FYI from BSF, 5.31.24
Teacher shortages have been a central concern of policymakers, school leaders, and families since 2020.
The focus tends to go toward finding new teachers, which will perhaps be eased by proposed changes to the Massachusetts teacher licensure exam. But, the far greater driver is the number of teachers that stay in their classrooms year over year.
Massachusetts released educator retention data this month, revealing some interesting trends.
Across Massachusetts and Boston, educator retention has returned to or above recent averages.
However, these measures all still fall below 2020, pre-pandemic levels. Retention actually improved at outset of the pandemic, only to decline thereafter.
There is a more expected, positive form of staff attrition: retirement. Years of sharper retention decline coincide with surges in plans to retire, as Baby Boomers finished up teaching careers began in the 1970s.
Overall, some noise aside, the data is largely consistent dating back to 2009, except for a large subset of Massachusetts public schools: charters.
In addition to being lower than the Massachusetts educator retention averages, Massachusetts charter school educator retention has declined over time.
The trend is even more stark amongst Boston’s charters schools.
Nearly half of Boston charter school teachers left their schools last year. The average is skewed down by a handful of schools, but the vast majority are well below MA and district rates.
There have been questions about the impact of the pandemic on academic results of charter schools, particularly locally. It stands to reason that the decline in educator retention is a contributing factor.
notes in the margin
More coverage on declining chronic absentee rates, and what interventions look like at New Mission in Hyde Park.
Should educational equity include supports for “talented and gifted students”?
Brockton is proposing that the state increase the dropout age from 16 to 18.
More preK seats will be available in Gateway cities.
Stoughton, MA is the anchor for a Wall Street Journal deep dive on the impact of immigration on schools.
The annual Report on Condition of Education is out. Massachusetts often jumps off the graphs. For instance, the Commonwealth has one of lowest percentages of low-income students...
...And the highest rates of spending.
A good point-counterpoint discussion of standardized tests.
other matters
Someone will finish first at Fenway this year! This week the park hosted the annual BPS valedictorian lunch.
