ICYMI: New Brief on Teacher Retention and Burnout in Baltimore City Public Schools
Should I Stay or Should I Go? Staving Off a Teacher Shortage in Baltimore City Public Schools – the first installment of our ongoing research on teacher retention and burnout – is available now. In a survey conducted at the end of the school year 2021-2022, we heard from 427 educators across 132 Baltimore City Public Schools. Teachers shared with us what motivates them to stay, what drives them to leave and what would make them more satisfied in their teaching roles.
The Baltimore Banner covered our newest brief earlier this month. Check out the article to learn more about our initial findings, here.
We are currently conducting more comprehensive interviews with a representative sample of Baltimore City Public School teachers, which will inform a full-length report to be released in 2023. Right now, we are prioritizing interviews with Black and Asian/Asian-American teachers, as well as teachers with just 1-2 years of experience, until we bring our sample fully into balance. If you do not meet one of those criteria, we still want to hear from you; however, we ask for your patience in scheduling. Please contact us to schedule an interview at teacherstudy@ffee.org or call or text 443-826-9010.
School Choice Season is Just Around the Corner!
School Choice season is coming up! Check out these resources to ensure City Schools elementary and middle school students are prepared for the choice process:
Upcoming Open Houses:
- Baltimore City College – Virtual, October 20 at 6 p.m.; In-Person, December 15 at 6 p.m.
- Bard High School Early College Baltimore – Virtual, October 20 at 7 p.m.; In-person, November 19 at 11 a.m.; Virtual, December 8 at 7 p.m.; Virtual, January 5 at 7 p.m.
- Baltimore Polytechnic Institute – October 30 at 1 p.m.; November 10 at 5:30 p.m.
- City Neighbors High School – November 15 at 5:30 p.m.; December 8 at 5:30 p.m
School Choice Workshops:
Did you know the Fund for Educational Excellence offers free virtual and in-person School Choice Workshops to help students and families navigate the choice process? In response to the confusion parents expressed about school choice during the listening campaign for our 2017 report, Calculated Choices, the Fund worked with an experienced school counselor and a parent to develop a workshop to support parents and students.
These workshops are available in either English or Spanish to groups of four or more City Schools parents or students at a date and time convenient for them. Topics covered include:
- The middle school and high school choice process
- The composite score formula
- Academic programs available to students (The Ingenuity Project, career & technical education, P-Tech, etc.)
- How to navigate Infinite Campus and submit the choice application virtually plus many other topics
Visit our School Choice Workshop webpage for a suite of resources to help families more easily navigate the school choice process. Click here to request a workshop.
Of Note:
Additional insights, updates and resources.
- Check out this Midday with Tom Hall interview for updates on City Schools’ key issues. In a conversation about school staffing, Tom Hall and Dr. Santelises discuss our newest brief on teacher retention and burnout. Listen, here.
- It’s that time of year again! The College Bound Foundation is hosting their annual College Awareness Month contest for City Schools K-8 students. This FREE art, essay, poetry contest will have 27 winners and additional prizes for the class with the most entries! Submissions are open until October 3rd. More information, here.
- Applications for Baltimore City’s Board of School Commissioners open! If you are passionate about moving City Schools forward, apply here.
- Find great information like this quick contact list and more in City Schools’ Family Guide! You can find it and all the forms you need to return to your school before September 30 on their website, here.
- The Yleana Leadership Foundation is offering FREE Online SAT Prep for Baltimore City Public Schools students! Register by October 3rd at 5 pm, here.