Lisa Mack: Teachers want to work closer to home.
The number of teachers leaving New Haven’s school district has grown so far this year, leading to a call for stepped-up retention efforts.
The call followed the presentation of a report given by New Haven Director of Human Resources and Labor Relations Lisa Mack at a Monday meeting of the Board of Education Finance and Operations Committee.
Mack compared statistics from Sept. 1‑Nov. 22. During that period last year, the school district saw 17 teachers leave. This year that number jumped to 27 over the same period.
Mack said most of the departures were of elementary teachers.
This year has seen a national teacher shortage, Mack noted.
Mack cited reasons some educators cited during exit surveys. The district is using data gathered from exit surveys to develop “retention initiatives.”
Several departing individuals said they “want to work closer to home” Mack reported.
The electronic survey is not required. It can be filled out anonymously, to make individuals more comfortable with providing honest feedback, Mack said.
Mack expressed interest in being a part of school-based retention committees to gain more insight into why staffers are leaving.
Finance and Operation Committee Chair Matt Wilcox asked Mack to share data of 2019 departures for additional comparison.
Wilcox encouraged the board to tackle the retention issue through a “no-fault fact-finding model.”
“There’s no people to blame for any of this,” Wilcox said.
Assistant Superintendent for Instructional Leadership Keisha Hannans suggested the district also survey NHPS staff on why they remain within the district.
Monday’s report followed concerns raised at previous Board of Education meetings.
During the Nov. 22 board meeting, Wexler-Grant Community School teacher and NHPS parent Ashley Stockton pointed out the 12 resignations within that one session’s personnel report.
Stockton, who has worked as a educator for NHPS for 21 years, asked that the district commit to understanding why teachers are leaving New Haven.
The district must commit to “listen and provide safe space free of retaliation for us to explain our current experience,” she said. She called that “the only way for you to gain an understanding of the why.”
Last school year, she said, 13 teachers left Wexler Grant. In the past three months, she said, four educators at Wexler have resigned.
She added that several of her former colleagues shared with her that they left New Haven to move to neighboring school districts.
“Our teachers are leaving for very clear and very concrete reasons,” Stockton said. “Recruiting teachers will not have to be the goal and lowering the bar for certification will not have to be the goal if this district takes the long view and works to retain those of us who are here.”
Monday's Finance and Operations Committee meeting.
Incoming teachers union President Leslie Blatteau told the Independent she welcomes the report as a start to exploring the issue further, including gathering more data and speaking more with teachers, nurses, and paraprofessionals.
“In some of the recent conversations with departing teachers, they have expressed feeling undervalued and unsupported by building leaders and supervisors,” Blatteau stated. “And they have also stated that neighboring districts offer significantly higher salaries and better health insurance options. Some teachers have also highlighted the ongoing increase to their day-to-day responsibilities without the necessary increase to their planning time or compensation. Teachers have also expressed concerns about the ongoing need for supplies and resources in their classrooms. Some teachers are still purchasing water and drinking cups because students continue to lack access to water during the school day.”