Report: Providence Schools Struggle as Teachers Continue to Quit and Recruiting Lags
Wednesday, March 15, 2023
A new report released by the Annenberg Institute at Brown University finds that Providence Public Schools continue to struggle to recruit and retain teachers.
Classroom teaching vacancies in the Providence Public School District (PPSD) remain high and teacher retention rates have fallen during the pandemic and state intervention.
However, the authors of the new report assert the overall story is more mixed – the number of classroom teaching vacancies was not unprecedented this year and teacher retention remains higher than in many districts across the U.S.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTAccording to the authors of the report, across the country, school districts have reported high levels of staffing shortages as schools begin the long process of recovering from the pandemic.
The study used data on teacher staffing to document key patterns and provide research-based insights to inform the conversation. The report highlights six key metrics focused on teacher retention and staffing in the Providence Public School District (PPSD):
● PPSD teacher attrition is higher than at the start of the pandemic and increased slightly in 2022, but retention remains relatively high (88%) compared to national averages. The long-term change in turnover has been driven both by an increase in retirements and by an increase in resignations among early and mid-career teachers.
● More teachers are leaving PPSD to go to other RI districts than entering from RI districts -- a shift from previous years.
● More teachers are exiting the district early in the school year post-pandemic than pre-pandemic, although trends are similar this year and last year.
● While the applicant pool has grown, it continues to be too small to meet demand, particularly in high-needs subject areas.
● The teaching force overall is not growing more diverse, but some schools have made more progress than others.
● Vacancies remain a stubborn but not unprecedented challenge.
“With efforts underway for staffing the district for the 2023-24 year, this brief comes at a relevant time,” said Kate Donohue, Senior Manager, Research and Partnerships at Annenberg and lead author of the report. “Our findings suggest that solving the district’s staffing challenges and continuing to diversify the teaching workforce will require new and sustained investment throughout the system.”
The report highlights several strategic insights to inform current efforts to address persistent staffing challenges. In particular, vacancies are primarily driven by late resignations and exits in high-need areas. The graying of the teacher workforce means that we should expect to see increases in turnover as more and more teachers will retire. And, certain groups– including substitutes and teacher assistants – represent a growing and more diverse pipeline into the classroom.
“As school districts nationwide struggle with staffing in the wake of the pandemic, it is vital that we understand and adapt to this nuanced problem,” said Providence Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Javier Montañez. “The Annenberg Institute’s research continues to provide valuable insight that PPSD can utilize to develop strategies to better serve our students and educators. To alleviate workforce challenges, PPSD has already begun its hiring process earlier than in years past, launched a robust recruitment campaign, and is offering a wide-array of incentives to attract and retain top talent with particular focus on high-need areas. We remain committed to our community’s plan to staff all PPSD classrooms with world-class talent to make Providence the destination for education.”
John Papay, Interim Director of the Annenberg Institute and one of the report’s co-authors, said “Truly transforming education for students in Providence requires ongoing efforts to attract more teachers, create schools where teachers want to stay and thrive, and staff all classrooms consistently with highly effective teachers."
This research brief builds on previously published research briefs about the teacher workforce in Providence, said the authors.
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