What really bugs teachers

Here's an interesting report by a Cal State prof on the issue of teacher retention: A Possible Dream: Retaining California Teachers.

The report starts with the observation that California student achievement is poor, and that the lack of qualified teachers is a contributing factor. What is notable is that the study digs beneath the surface to find that teacher retention, not training and recruitment, is the key to addressing the ongoing teacher shortages. Their "key findings" are:

• 81% of teachers who participated in our survey said they entered the profession because they wanted to make a difference for children and society. This overwhelming number indicates that teachers want above all to be effective teachers.
• Many teachers leave schools long before retirement because of inadequate system supports such as too little time for planning, too few textbooks, and unreliable assistance from the district ofice.
• Bureaucratic impediments (e.g., excessive paperwork, too many unnecessary meetings) were cited frequently by leavers. The data also showed that teachers were not asking to be left alone but instead wanted eficient and responsive bureaucracy that supported their teaching.
• Better compensation matters to teachers, but unless their classroom and school environment is conducive to good teaching, better compensation is not likely to improve teacher retention rates.
• Teachers willingly stay because of strong collegial supports and because they have an important say in the operation of the school; they also seek strong input in what and how they are allowed to teach.
• Special education teachers are most likely to leave special education because of inadequate system supports as well as an all-too-often hostile teaching environment created by parents and student advocates. In addition, they leave because of too little time for the complex and constantly changing IEPs (individualized Education Programs) they are required to write. Many leave because of dysfunctional professional relationships with their colleagues in general education.
• Many teachers (28%) who have left teaching before retirement would come back if improvements were made to teaching and learning conditions. Monetary incentives alone would be less effective in luring them back.

What makes this study notable to me is that it side steps the usual hot button controversies about teacher pay, collective bargaining, educational bureaucracy, etc. and attempts to identify what really bugs teachers and what drives them from the profession. The findings jibe with what I've observed in my kids' schools over the years.