Why NYC can’t keep great teachers
Last Updated: 12:39 AM, August 1, 2012
When I first became a teacher 10 years ago, I envisioned a long career helping countless children reach their potential and go on to accomplish great things. By all measures, I’m succeeding — but it’s no longer enough to sustain me in this profession. Next month, as teachers and students return to to MS 391 in The Bronx, I won’t be among them.
The decision to leave the classroom was among the most difficult I’ve ever made, but I feel like my career is stuck in neutral, with no clear path of advancement.
A new report from TNTP, a national nonprofit focused on teacher quality, shows that my experience is sadly typical. It surveyed teachers in New York City and across the country, focusing on “Irreplaceables” — teachers who are so successful that it can take schools as many as 11 hires to find just one.
The report found that schools nationwide lose tens of thousands of Irreplaceables a year that they should’ve been able to keep. Principals aren’t trying hard enough to keep their best teachers or build school cultures that will make them excited to stay. Many don’t even bother to ask great teachers to return for another year.
And most schools in New York City and elsewhere can’t offer raises or new leadership roles to top teachers — though TNTP found that both could keep Irreplaceables in the classroom longer.
I know how new career pathways can make a big difference. Last year, I jumped at the chance to participate in the city’s Master
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