Step 1:  Cut School Suspensions in Half = Path to Better Teachers, Principals, Classrooms, Achievement & Lower Costs

Student Discipline Problems Leads to High Teacher Turnover…

In the 2007-08 school year, there were 25,405 suspension incidents in Prince George's County Public Schools (PGCPS):

• 14, 256 students were suspended from the public schools (11% of the student population)³
• 10,366 for disrespect, insubordination and classroom disruption
• 6,530 for a refusal to obey school policies and regulation

Student Discipline is the key reason why teachers are leaving the classroom in droves. Nearly half of teachers leave the profession after 5 years⁴. Sure, teacher pay is an issue, but classroom discipline is both driving talented teachers from the profession and, importantly, limiting the amount of student learning occurring in the classroom. 

In a recent teacher exit survey, "Student Discipline Problems" was the #1 reason teachers left.⁵ "Lack of Student Motivation" was #2.

High Teacher Turnover at Priority Schools Means Inexperienced Teachers & Lower Student Performance…

It is PGCPS policy to place “highly qualified teachers” in those "priority" schools identified as having the highest need (e.g. low performing schools, schools with the highest proportion of low-income students). Yet those priority schools have more vacancies, and thus less experienced teachers on average because of more vacancies and higher teacher turnover:⁶

• Priority Schools have a higher proportion of new teachers
• In 29 elementary and middle schools, 1/3 or more teachers have less than 2 years of experience at PGCPS
• Priority Schools have higher turnover and voluntary transfers

While low-income schools have more high quality teachers, these teachers have less experience and also tend to underperform.

…And Higher Costs for Prince George’s County

Teacher turnover is estimated to cost Prince George’s County $23,292,500⁷

The cost of replacing teachers has been estimated by the National Commission on Teaching and America’s Future (NCATF) at between $39,250 and $78,750 depending upon whether it is a suburban or urban district.

...Finding highly qualified leaders for “hard to staff” schools is a systemic problem

A study by the Advocates for Children & Youth in the five years from 2002-2007 showed a high rate of principal turnover in the lowest performing middle schools⁸.

In a study of 14 of the 32 middle schools in Prince George's, there were 22 principal changes; 79% of the schools had at least one principal change; 57% had 2 or more changes; and one school had five changes.

³ Maryland State Department of Education, Student Publications, Suspensions, Expulsions, and Health Related Exclusions, 2007-2008 (Table 6, Table 9)

⁴   ibid

⁵Prince George’s County Public Schools, Board of Education, Quality Schools Program Strategic Plan, 2006 Update

⁶PGCPS HR database; BCG analysis

⁷National Commission on Teaching and America’s Future (2007), Teacher Turnover Cost Calculator

⁸Advocates for Children & Youth, Issue Brief, Volume 5, Number 4, December 2007, Principal Turnover in Prince George’s County Public Schools.