CPS Targets Teacher Retention

By Matt Wood in News on Sep 25, 2006 1:38PM

Chicago school board members are expected to approve a program this week to train 100 principals in struggling schools how to pick and retain better teachers. The $150,000 program is aimed at recruiting candidates who are realistic about the challenges of teaching and won't leave the school after one or two years, if they show up at all.

Upon first reading this article, Chicagoist thought, "Shouldn't they be doing that anyway?" But having heard the war stories from our teacher friends about the conditions at some of the city's worst public schools, we can see how a little extra training is necessary. Among the many problems in these schools is a revolving door of educators who rarely get more than two years of experience under their belts before bailing out, taking that plum job at a magnet school or suburban district that had passed them over the first time around. And as the Tribune reports today, even some of the teachers who stick it out at struggling schools can make matters worse with high rates of absenteeism.

All of this, coupled with this article suggesting that we should be hiring a private tutor to get our kid ready for preschool, has Chicagoist fairly terrified about our decision to raise a family in the city. We're worried enough about potty training as it is.