SBOE welcomes teacher retention panel at public meeting
Joyanna Smith and Theodore Hinton to be honored
The SBOE will hold its public meeting on Wednesday, October 24, 2018, at 5:30 p.m. in Room 412 of the John A. Wilson Building at 1350 Pennsylvania Ave., NW. Members will hear from panels of national and local experts, as well as current and former classroom teachers on teacher retention in District public schools. The State Board will also recognize the achievements of former Ombudsman for Public Education, Joyanna Smith, and long-time DCPS administrator, Theodore Hinton. All meeting documents can be accessed on the SBOE information-sharing site. The public meeting will air live on District Knowledge Network (DKN) and will be streamed live via Periscope for those community members who are unable to attend in person.
Teacher Retention in District Schools
During this public meeting, local and national experts will offer their guidance and recommendations on ways to improve teacher retention. Additionally, the SBOE will hear directly from teachers in both DC Public Schools (DCPS) and public charter schools on the effects felt by students when teachers leave their school.
At this month’s working session, education researcher Mary Levy led a discussion with the State Board members on her recently completed report on teacher retention in the District, which was published on October 3.
Key Findings in Report
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Teacher turnover is higher in the District of Columbia than in other comparable American cities, including New York, Chicago, and Milwaukee, and higher than the national average.
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The yearly teacher turnover rate, averaged over three years, across both traditional public and public charter schools is about 25 percent, compared to a national average of approximately 16 percent and an average of 19 percent among a selection of urban districts. In both sectors, schools with the highest percentages of at-risk students tend to suffer from the highest rates of teacher turnover.
- Teacher and principal turnover was highest in Wards 5, 7, and 8 and least frequent in Ward 3.
SBOE Recommendations
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A state-level oversight body—whether SBOE, the Office of the State Superintendent of Education, the DC Council, or the proposed education research collaborative—should create and maintain a single comprehensive and publicly available source of teacher and principal turnover data. Standardized, regular reporting of all teacher turnover data would help promote a common understanding and help state and local education agencies to take action.
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The state should work with LEAs to ensure richer data collection on teacher and principal characteristics. Knowing more about teachers’ and principals’ characteristics and their motivations for leaving is crucial to addressing the underlying causes of turnover and retaining more high-quality teachers.
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SBOE should support a new, sustained research project exploring linkages between teacher and principal turnover and student success. More research, potentially in the form of a survey or other qualitative research project, would be helpful to better understand the mechanisms by which teacher turnover affects students and schools.
Joyanna Smith
Joyanna Smith was appointed as the Ombudsman for Public Education in February 2014 and served in this role for nearly five years. Under her leadership, the Office of Ombudsman for Public Education fielded more than 2,000 complaints, the majority of which originated in the most disenfranchised parts of the District and involved students of color. Ms. Smith has made a lasting impact in the District through her work in re-establishing the Office of Ombudsman for Public Education—helping parents, students, and families resolve school complaints and ensure that the best interest of students are put first. She has been a champion for all residents of the District of Columbia by working to help bridge the knowledge gap between the perceptions and the realities of the public schools in the District.
Theodore C. Hinton, Jr.
Theodore C. Hinton, Jr. worked in the District of Columbia Public Schools system for 50 years—serving as a math and science teacher, an administrator, and most recently as Dean of Culture at Powell Bilingual Elementary School. During his tenure, Mr. Hinton was a strong proponent of using positive reinforcement to help all students find direction in their lives.
On the Agenda
The draft agenda of the meeting is below. Please note that the agenda may be altered, modified or updated without notice.
I. Call to Order
II. Announcement of a Quorum
III. Approval of the Agenda
IV. Approval of the Minutes
V. Comments from the SBOE President
VI. Comments from the State Superintendent of Education
VII. Public Comment
VIII. Joyanna Smith Ceremonial Resolution (VOTE)
IX. Theodore C. Hinton, Jr. Ceremonial Resolution (VOTE)
X. Teacher Retention at District Schools
XI. Adjournment
Make Your Voice Heard - Sign Up to Testify
All students, parents, educators, and community members are invited to provide testimony at public meetings. Individuals and representatives of organizations who wish to comment at a public meeting are asked to notify Board staff in advance by phone at (202) 741-0888 or by email at sboe@dc.gov no later than 48 hours in advance of the meeting. An electronic copy of testimony must be received no later than 48 hours prior to the meeting. Individuals are asked to furnish their names, addresses, telephone numbers, and organizational affiliation, if any. Individuals must also bring at least fifteen (15) copies of their written statements with them to the meeting.
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