Since Baltimore schools CEO Andrés Alonso took the helm four years ago, only about one-quarter of the system's principals have remained in their posts, a high turnover rate that has rankled education advocates who say they are concerned that leadership vacuums hamper progress.
With just 21/2 weeks until students return to the classroom, nine schools remain without permanent leadership assignments. Late Tuesday, Alonso appointed the 15th new principal in two weeks as the system races to fill a total of 42 vacancies that had opened this past school year alone — about half of those retirements or resignations.
Right now it can be extremely difficult for a veteran teacher to leave an urban district for another teaching job, regardless of his or her qualifications or accomplishments in our most challenging schools. Who knows how many would get the hell out if they could. Jennifer is talking about using a private school headhunter next year; something that would have been inconceivable for us only a couple years ago. What will happen if the economy ever recovers, and we get near full employment again? This entire reform edifice would collapse.
Administrators, from what I can tell, still have a lot more mobility and can actually move in and out of urban districts if they want to. Who would want to be an administrator in Providence today?
I'd love it if the Sun's story had some info about where the resigning principals were going.
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