Teacher Absences and Turnover a Concern

Teacher absence and turnover – According to the Educational Testing Service, minority and low-income students are more likely to attend schools with high levels of teacher absence and teacher turnover. There was little change in the gaps. Teacher Absences For eighth-grade math students, the rate of teacher absence is higher for minority students and students eligible for school lunches than for White students and students not eligible for school lunches. The discrepancy between white and minority students is between 3-5%; between eligibility for free lunch and ineligiblity the discrepancy is between 10-12%. Teacher Turnover The data here is about students whose teachers left the school/profession during the school year. “In 2007, 52 percent of Black and 44 percent of Hispanic eighth graders had a teacher who left before the end of the school year, compared with 28 percent of White eighth graders.” It is reasonable to infer from this information that teaching in schools with high proportions of Black or Hispanic or poor students is more stressful that other assignments. That should serve to remind us of the teachers who will need the most support and assistance. And, as in teacher preparation and teacher experience, there is a moral imperative to address these issues. We might also consider providing pay incentives to experienced and well prepared teachers to good to these schools to teach. While teachers unions generally dislike differentiated pay, like incentives, it is important for them to realize the moral imperative and look into the possibilities. http://www.ets.org/Media/Research/pdf/PICPARSINGII.pdf