Can Teachers Lead Teachers?

Abstract

THE NUMBERS are in, and they are not rosy. According to the Schools and Staffing Survey, 64,954 public schools reported vacancies during the 2003-04 school year. (1) Even more alarming is the fact that projections suggest teacher attrition rates will continue to soar, while student enrollments climb, well into the 21st century. (2) American schools have an urgent challenge: the retention of teachers. (3) Although the forecast seems bleak, teachers can do something to help retain our colleagues. First, teachers must become aware of research that has examined dissatisfactions with the teaching profession. Second, they must use these findings to form policy and influence change. Only then can we say we are truly addressing the teacher retention crisis. In this article, I will address the five most commonly cited issues in teacher retention and offer four specific recommendations for how teachers can become leaders who can influence those factors. TEACHER PAY When we hear discussions of dissatisfaction among teachers, pay is usually the first topic that surfaces. Indeed, if we are serious about the retention of high-quality talent, then wages must be increased to compete with those offered by other professions in the job market, for salaries are positively associated with retention. (4) When compared to other college graduates with the same levels of experience, beginning teachers earn about 12% less per week than their peers in the private sector. (5) According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average hourly salary for all teachers in the U.S. is $36.47, which results in average weekly earnings of $1,458 or approximately $53,000 per year. (6) An individual with similar credentials in another profession could earn roughly $175 more in one week, for an annual total of approximately $59,000. The difference between the two annual salaries, in spite of the employees' similar credentials, could make remaining in the teaching profession undesirable. Similar credentials aside, studies have cited that an even greater difference exists--with more dismal implications--for graduates who majored in mathematics or the science fields. Candidates for whom non-teaching jobs are more plentiful and attractive, such as individuals with training in mathematics and science, are less likely to choose teaching when wage differentials ... compare unfavorably. (7) Athletes, entertainers, and CEOs are paid enormous sums. Should we not reconsider our values and provide worthy salaries for the teachers who helped them achieve their success? Increasing salaries would help make teaching a more competitive and more desirable occupation, one that could attract the best and brightest students. I predict that we will see highly qualified, bright individuals choosing to remain in the teaching profession once salaries are in line with those of other career options. MENTORING We must create and support mentoring programs for teachers at all career levels. Research has indicated that meaningful mentoring is vital to and necessary for increased teacher retention, (8) especially among beginning teachers, who are particularly in need of meaningful help during their early years in the classroom. Meaningful mentoring, which must come from a credible source, is informative, nonpunitive, and helpful. Teaching is the only profession that requires the same responsibilities of its beginning practitioners as it does of its masters. In both medicine and law, novices are expected to work closely with more experienced colleagues until they are able to confidently stand on their own two feet. The teaching profession should be no different. Meaningful mentoring programs must be implemented quickly if we are going to retain our newest teachers. Although mentoring programs are critical for beginning teachers, experienced teachers can also benefit. (9) Seasoned teachers often express the need and desire to mentor novice teachers. …