In recent months, the charter school debate has been raging in Miami, spurred by a series of articles published in the Miami Herald. Yet one essential question has remained unasked in the press and in the public debate: How do charter schools treat their teachers?
It is a critical consideration, as it indubitably affects recruitment, the turnover rate, and ultimately teacher quality and overall stability within charter schools.
Seeking answers, I surveyed individuals who currently teach or have taught in the past at different Miami-Dade charter schools. It is telling that not one of the teachers I surveyed—including those who were relatively content with their compensation and working conditions in the charter schools—wanted their names used in my column, or even any identifying information about the schools. Those working in the schools fear reprisal, or at the very least were not sure they were “allowed” to discuss those things. Charter school teachers have no contractual protections, and can be fired with or without cause at any time. It is certainly comprehensible that one would not want to irritate the administration or management company, even if only by making public information that should already be public, considering our taxes fund these institutions.
My surveys found huge discrepancy from school to school. Some teachers seemed quite content with their working conditions, while others evoked sub-par compensation and a climate of intimidation. The most frequently cited advantage was greater flexibility—not having to abide by strict pacing guides mandated by the state and district. Two also said they had very responsive administration and good resources. Yet I encountered a litany of complaints from teachers in several different schools, ranging from outdated and insufficient textbooks, to divided classrooms creating a chaotic learning environment, to lack of materials and technology, to mold in the building causing respiratory problems among staff, to inadequate benefits, to lack of paid planning time and an abundance of unpaid extra duties, to lack of job security. Charter school advocates claim that the ability to fire teachers free of contractual constraints allows them to hire and retain the best teachers. Yet at one school, a competent teacher was fired mid-year when a principal learned he was seeking employment elsewhere, while the same principal justified retaining an incompetent teacher because he would not be able to find another job. Multiple respondents cited high turnover rate, general dissatisfaction, and low morale at their schools. A majority of those I surveyed had either already left their charter schools, or expressed they would leave them to work in a traditional public school given the opportunity.
This last point is perhaps the most significant. Turnover matters. Experts agree that it takes three to five years for a new teacher to begin to fully realize his or her potential. A September 2010 study by the University of Washington National Charter School Research Project found significantly higher turnover rate in charter schools than in traditional public schools (by as much as 52%), and also found that those leaving charter schools cited lack of job security and job duties as one of the top five factors in their decision, while it did not show up at all for those leaving traditional public schools. They were also more likely to cite salary and benefits as an issue than those leaving traditional public schools. Overall they expressed a lower satisfaction with their schools and working conditions than those leaving traditional public schools.
In 2011, Florida charter elementary and middle schools were seven times more likely to score a failing grade than their traditional public school counterparts. Is there a connection between low performance and unsatisfactory compensation and working conditions for teachers in those schools?
Public schools are now forced by the state to follow the unproven privatized model of charter schools: decreased job security, lower salaries, eroded benefits, larger classes, and ever greater responsibilities. All parents and citizens should be concerned about the implications for the education of our future generations.
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