NYC Principals Not Keeping Their Best Teachers, Report Finds

A national study released Monday found that school districts are not retaining the best teachers and suggests merit pay and better evaluation systems.

According to a study by the New Teacher Project known as “The Irreplaceables,” the nation’s 50 largest school districts lose 10,000 of its best teachers every year, while one in 10 classrooms is still led by an experienced, but low-performing teacher.

The study also found that two-thirds of the best teachers had not been asked to stay at their schools by the principal and that principals rarely asked weak teachers to leave.

The New Teacher Project recommended teacher merit pay, better evaluation systems and evaluation of how well principals retain their best teachers.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg and city Schools Chancellor Dennis Walcott applauded the report.

“The study released today by TNTP – and which New York City participated in –confirms that school districts across the country must do more to keep great teachers in our classrooms. That’s exactly why we have offered to add a $20,000 annual stipend to the salaries of teachers who are rated highly effective for two consecutive years.”

But the United Federation of Teachers criticized Bloomberg’s stance on the study.

“It’s a shame that the mayor, who thinks merit pay is the solution to every problem, has chosen to ignore one of this report’s central findings – that poor school cultures and working conditions drive away great teachers,” UFT President Michael Mulgrew told the Daily News.

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