Are Good Teachers Appreciated?
By Dr. Marciene Mattleman
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Jay Mathews writes about a star 4th grade teacher who made an impact in a low-income neighborhood. When school leaders gave her little recognition, nor took advantage of her expertise and stymied team building, she quit.
The New Teacher Project, "The Irreplaceables: Understanding the Real Retention Crisis in America's Urban Schools," looking at four urban districts with 90,000 teachers, found that only 47% of high performing teachers were praised by their bosses for their good work. Only 26% were encouraged to take leadership roles, and just 37% were urged to stay when considering other assignments.
Mathews goes on to add that great teachers speak up when they see something holding kids back and tend to push for higher standards - behaviors that may irritate principals.
In the survey of top rated teachers, defined as 20% by student improvement on achievement tests, students gave them more points for helping and making teaching more enjoyable.
Read more in The Washington Post.
