Which private schools retain their teachers the most?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A topic that I find so frustrating. If good teachers are valued, then why aren't they rewarded financially and with praise? Those who teach the younger students are valued the least. Most infuriating? You could be the best teacher in the world, but if a male teacher does one excellent lesson or coordinates one event, he is immediately valued more than a female teacher. Male teachers are valued more at every single school. A good fourth grade teacher is given a pat on the back, but a good male teacher is asked to move into administration. Last but not least, tell me how many young teaching mothers out there are valued? My head recently told me how she was so impressed with how much energy on of the male teachers at our school had, that he could be at school early, coordinate a ton of events, teach his heart out and still have tons of energy. I just nodded. What I wanted to say was Yes, it is incredible how much energy you have when you have someone else, say a wife, getting the kids up in the morning, getting them dressed, making lunches, and making dinner for everyone while still working full time.

Love my job. Wish more good teachers were recognized, wish more bad teachers were fired, wish my school would ask these questions.

the US is especially bad this way. When I travel to Europe, especially Italy, when people find out I am a teacher, they are so respectful. Teaching is exhausting, difficult work that requires a customized approach to each kid. (and I agree 100% on the preference for male
Tteachers. And, a tall male teacher? both the kids and the administration fawn on these)

. So true. Male teachers in education are valued ten times more than female teachers

How many women in admin positions at your school?
Yep. It is absolutely infuriating.

[Anonymous]

That was in response to your yep comment don't kow why that showed up where it did.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yeah, the role model thing struck me as weird too. I tend to think parents discount experience for other reasons (it's a variant on the "anyone can teach" theme). And I think they value youth/energy/enthusiasm because those are qualities they find attractive and/or assume that their children will find attractive.

As a teacher I find that comment hilarious. Saying that anyone can teach is the same as saying that anyone can parent. And as a teacher that deals with students' emotional and academic states every day I tell you that not everyone can parent!

Btw if you want to know why your child is failing/having social problems/superficial/kind/loving/good role model/or a bad role model look in the mirror.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Of the many metrics than can be used to assess private schools, staff happiness is a key one. What are your views on turnover and overall happiness of those that run the schools that our kids attend?

Your subject line differs than your question.

Staff turnover is good if it is for the right reasons. It is bad if turnover is occurring because the staff hates the school or administration. I worked at a school that had eight teachers leave Esch year for three years be UAE they hated the principal. More often than not the turnover can be understood as being the right move for the school.


BTW the ONLY staff that is unhappy over turnover is the staff that is doing something wrong and worries that they may be next.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I agree that tenure of high performing teachers at a school is a key indication of school quality.

I agree that happy teachers and high performing teachers are signs of school quality.

[Anonymous]

I can only speak for the schools that I am familiar with but St Albans and Holton teachers seem happy to us.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Of the many metrics than can be used to assess private schools, staff happiness is a key one. What are your views on turnover and overall happiness of those that run the schools that our kids attend?

Your subject line differs than your question.

Staff turnover is good if it is for the right reasons. It is bad if turnover is occurring because the staff hates the school or administration. I worked at a school that had eight teachers leave Esch year for three years be UAE they hated the principal. More often than not the turnover can be understood as being the right move for the school.


BTW the ONLY staff that is unhappy over turnover is the staff that is doing something wrong and worries that they may be next.

I have worked in some schools with some pretty horrible administrations. Lying to teachers (in order to "prove" a point, further a personal agenda), not firing staff for proven theft of $, chaos, not following procedure, never visiting the classroom so consequently out of touch, etc. Not always the case, of course, but this was my experience with 1 school.

[Anonymous]

Experience benefits everyone... I am a much better teacher after 5 years of experience than I was during my first year. However, during my first year, I was a better teacher than some who had been teaching 10 or more years in my building. I think something that gets lost in the experience debate is that teachers don't all start from the same spot. So, I think experience does matter but it is not the sole determination of effective teaching.

[Anonymous]

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]How is it that some of the staff/administrators are also teachers at some of the top private schools? [/quote]

As an administrator who teaches, I do it because it keeps me in tune with kids and with what faculty are experiencing day to day. Teaching is often the highlight of my day and I don't want to give it up.[/quote]


Your logic is completely flawed. Furthermore everyone who knows you is aware of the fact that you are a bad teacher and a pathetically poor administrator. Qualified professional administrators are supposed to be master educators who can objectively assess the effectiveness of their teachers and the performances of their students without being caught up in the daily drama of being a teacher or a student.

We both know who you are and we both know that you are a gossip and a cheat. Grow up, take yourself out of the classroom and start being a fair and objective administrator. Your school is rotten to its core because you are positioned at its very middle.

[Anonymous]

[i][b]How is it that some of the staff/administrators are also teachers at some of the top private schools? [/b][/i]

My question was more along the lines of wondering if these staff/adminisitrators/coaches are qualified to teach and more specifically if they are qualified to teach a specific subject. It would be good to hear from people who are or have been in this situation.

[Anonymous]

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]How is it that some of the staff/administrators are also teachers at some of the top private schools? [/quote]

As an administrator who teaches, I do it because it keeps me in tune with kids and with what faculty are experiencing day to day. Teaching is often the highlight of my day and I don't want to give it up.[/quote]


Your logic is completely flawed. Furthermore everyone who knows you is aware of the fact that you are a bad teacher and a pathetically poor administrator. Qualified professional administrators are supposed to be master educators who can objectively assess the effectiveness of their teachers and the performances of their students without being caught up in the daily drama of being a teacher or a student.

We both know who you are and we both know that you are a gossip and a cheat. Grow up, take yourself out of the classroom and start being a fair and objective administrator. Your school is rotten to its core because you are positioned at its very middle.[/quote]

wow! Which school are you talking about?

[Anonymous]

This thread has drifted far from the original question. It is possible to use google carefully and find listings of the number, and qualifications, of new teachers arriving each fall at the most discussed schools. Some schools have, by design, quite high turnover each year. While rarely discussed, this keeps salary costs lower than they might otherwise be and creates a large network of alums that may carry the school's "beliefs" out across a broader network. Whether these outcomes have any positive effects for actual students at the school that outweigh the costs of turnover, hmm.

[Anonymous]

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]How is it that some of the staff/administrators are also teachers at some of the top private schools? [/quote]

As an administrator who teaches, I do it because it keeps me in tune with kids and with what faculty are experiencing day to day. Teaching is often the highlight of my day and I don't want to give it up.[/quote]


Your logic is completely flawed. Furthermore everyone who knows you is aware of the fact that you are a bad teacher and a pathetically poor administrator. Qualified professional administrators are supposed to be master educators who can objectively assess the effectiveness of their teachers and the performances of their students without being caught up in the daily drama of being a teacher or a student.

We both know who you are and we both know that you are a gossip and a cheat. Grow up, take yourself out of the classroom and start being a fair and objective administrator. Your school is rotten to its core because you are positioned at its very middle.[/quote]

Uhh.... NP here... I have no idea why you think you know this person, but it's not at all uncommon for for administrators in independent schools to teach a class or two.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
How many women in admin positions at your school?

The faculty is about 20% male, but the administrative positions (including department heads, etc) is about 60% male. As an example, a department head position was recently filled (appointed by the upper administration) by a male teacher who had been at the school for only a few years, and has been teaching less than 10 years. Qualified, longer-tenured female teachers were passed over. No reason given by the upper administration (male) other than "it was an internal decision".

So yes, it's infuriating to me.

[Anonymous]

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]How is it that some of the staff/administrators are also teachers at some of the top private schools? [/quote]

As an administrator who teaches, I do it because it keeps me in tune with kids and with what faculty are experiencing day to day. Teaching is often the highlight of my day and I don't want to give it up.[/quote]


Your logic is completely flawed. Furthermore everyone who knows you is aware of the fact that you are a bad teacher and a pathetically poor administrator. Qualified professional administrators are supposed to be master educators who can objectively assess the effectiveness of their teachers and the performances of their students without being caught up in the daily drama of being a teacher or a student.

We both know who you are and we both know that you are a gossip and a cheat. Grow up, take yourself out of the classroom and start being a fair and objective administrator. Your school is rotten to its core because you are positioned at its very middle.[/quote]

Are you clinically unbalanced? Lol!

Uhh.... NP here... I have no idea why you think you know this person, but it's not at all uncommon for for administrators in independent schools to teach a class or two. [/quote]