“Burn and Churn” among Charter School Principals
Seventy-one percent of charter school principals expect to leave their posts within five years. That will be a turnover rate of nearly three out of every four principals. As for the actual turnover among charter school principals–there are over 5000 charter schools with an average of four hundred start-ups annually–the rate is about the same as regular public schools, according to a recent report (pub_ICS_Succession_Nov10-1). So “burn and churn” (see April 24, 2010 post) among principals scorches even charters where stakeholders are deeply involved in choosing who leads the school.
Turnover in regular urban schools also runs very high. In Chicago 61 percent of the lowest performing schools have had three or more principals since 2000. In Austin (TX), 64 percent of high school principals leave after three years. Revolving door principals lower teacher morale (perhaps increasing teacher turnover as well) and disrup
