Many OKC schools flunk on teacher retention

Staff Writer twillert@oklahoman.com

Oklahoma City Public Schools retained fewer teachers at schools with first- or second-year principals than sites with more experienced leadership, data provided by the district shows.

Overall, the district retained 72 percent of certified staff, including classroom teachers, according to data collected between May 31 and Aug. 1.

Several elementary schools, however, posted much lower retention rates, including Thelma Parks (15 percent); Telstar (39 percent); Greystone (43 percent); North Highland (46 percent); and Green Pastures (47 percent).

Six other schools retained fewer than 60 percent of certified staff, which includes emergency certified teachers, certified substitutes, media specialists and counselors. Those schools are F.D. Moon Academy (52 percent); Edwards Elementary (55 percent); Oakridge Elementary (56 percent); Capitol Hill Elementary (58 percent); Northeast Academy (58 percent) and Stand Watie Elementary (59 percent).

All but two of those schools began the current school year with a new principal. Green Pastures brought in a new principal last year. The district recently placed Northeast Principal Sue Starr on paid administrative leave following a student protest.

School board member Ruth Veales represents six schools in northeast Oklahoma City and Spencer with high teacher turnover, including Thelma Parks and Telstar. Veales said constant change affects stability among children who come

from unstable home environments.

“When you put new teachers in low-performing schools without giving them the support they need in order to be successful, you’re setting them up for failure,” she said Tuesday.

“When we continue to have these people coming in an out of their lives, it creates even more trauma. It creates an environment for even more discipline problems.”

Shane Keenan, the district’s director of employee engagement, attributed the high turnover rate at schools such as Parks to teachers who changed schools or were working with emergency credentials because of the state’s teacher shortage.

“They either transferred or they didn’t meet the requirements to continue teaching,” he said.

Between January and July, 631 teachers and other workers left the district, data shows. Of the 277 who completed exit surveys, 71 percent were teachers.

A majority indicated

they left the district for personal reasons or another district.

42 percent said ‘no’

While 63 percent of respondents said they would recommend Oklahoma City Public Schools, 42 percent answered “no” when asked if they received adequate support from the central office and 50 percent answered no when asked if there was effective communication with “your building or department.”

“I think that anytime people are telling you there is a communication issue, I think it’s always cause for you to do better,” Keenan said.

Since May, the district has replaced principals at 21 schools. Seven of those schools had teacher retention rates above 70 percent: Hayes Elementary (86 percent); Emerson North High School (79 percent); Douglass MidHigh (78 percent); Cesar Chavez Elementary (77 percent); Roosevelt Middle School (73 percent); Northwest Classen High School (74 percent); and Heronville Elementary (71 percent).

Board member Charles Henry blames what he called “the lack of a structured discipline policy”

for the high rate of teacher turnover.

“We don’t have any inschool or detention programs that work, so a lot of kids sit in class and become disruptive,” he said. “If they get away with it, they know they can continue to do it.

“Teachers are frustrated because they can’t teach the kids. They’re dealing with disrespectful statements, kids threatening violence, fighting with other kids.”

Ed Allen, president of the union that negotiates with the district on behalf of 2,400 teachers, said the district has an ongoing retention problem.

“Some of these schools are getting a complete turnover in staff over five years,” he said. “There’s no way that you can get academic improvement with turnover like that.”

Allen said the survey responses were telling.

“Almost all of them (who said they were leaving for another district) are leaving the district because it’s too difficult of a place to work,” he said.

“It’s a red flag when 50 percent of the staff doesn’t feel like they know what’s going on. If I don’t know what’s going on in this building, if my principal is below average, why would you want to stay?”