Countering 'churn and burn'

Since the no-excuses movement began in the 1990s, its schools have had a reputation for teachers who are young, idealistic, white, and available to families around the clock -- until they leave, writes Sara Neufeld for The Atlantic. Some are ready to have children of their own or more lucrative careers; others are just fried. The dynamic has been criticized for depriving students of stable adult relationships and creating mistrust in minority neighborhoods, so a new focus from charter networks is sustainability. For instance, YES Prep Schools in Houston connects students with summer camps, wilderness expeditions, and international travel, and lets teachers have a summer break. KIPP is offering on-site daycare for teachers in some locations. Uncommon Schools has a heavy emphasis on teacher training and mentoring, and new teachers get a lighter class load. Diversity initiatives by networks are also attracting more minority teacher candidates. Yet the predicament that no-excuses schools wrestle with is universal in low-income schools: Kids who are behind need time and attention to catch up. At regular public schools, where scheduling is dictated by union contracts, turnover in impoverished neighborhoods is just as high: Uncommon Schools' turnover is comparable to the national urban average, with about 20 percent of teachers leaving annually. More

Source:  Public Education News Blast

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Los Angeles Education Partnership (LAEP) is an education support organization that works as a collaborative partner in high-poverty communities.