More teachers green in the classroom

Posted by on September 24, 2012

When green isn’t great

Recent findings by Richard Ingersoll at the University of Pennsylvania show that as teacher attrition rates have risen to 13 percent for first-year teachers, schools must hire increasing numbers of new teachers, USA TODAY reports. Between 40 to 50 percent of those entering the profession now leave within five years in what Ingersoll calls a “constant replenishment of beginners.” The end result: a more than threefold increase in the sheer number of inexperienced teachers in U.S. schools. The 1987-88 school year, Ingersoll estimates, had about 65,000 first-year teachers; by 2007-08, the number was over 200,000. In 1987-88 the biggest group of teachers had 15 years of experience. By 2007-08, the most recent data available, the biggest group of teachers had one year of experience. Heather Peske of Teach Plus says the so-called greening of the profession doesn’t necessarily mean families will find “fresh-faced 23-year-olds in every classroom.” Many new teachers are career-changers with experience in functional workplaces. These teachers will expect adequate materials, and the chance to collaborate with co-workers. “I do think that’s good for the profession,” Peske says. But parents shouldn’t be surprised if young teachers soon leave the classroom for better-paying jobs. With teachers moving around more, parents should also ask how the school keeps their replacements current on student progress.

Read more: http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/backtoschool/story/2012-09-05/new-teachers/57581638/1

More relevant publications by Dr. Ingersoll: http://scholar.gse.upenn.edu/rmi/pages/selected-publications