An Exploration of Teacher Retention in Rural No Excuse Charter Schools in the United States

Teachers are the primary drivers of student outcomes and are crucial to the life and health of our education system. And yet, teacher attrition in American schools has steadily risen over the past three decades, becoming the source of growing concern among education leaders, researchers, and policymakers (Borman & Dowling, 2008; Sutcher, Darling-Hammond & Carver-Thomas, 2016). When a teacher leaves the classroom, they contribute to a host of burdens on the school that must scramble to fill the vacancy, including lower attendance rates, increased disciplinary incidents, and lower test scores (Hanushek, Kain & Rivkin, 2004; Ronfeldt, Loeb, & Wyckoff, 2013). The problem is especially pronounced in rural, No Excuse charter schools. These schools are found exclusively in low-income communities and are isolated from the social and cultural amenities found in metropolitan areas. Aside from having a smaller pool of qualified, degree-holding teacher applicants, these communities have deeply rooted identities and characteristics that can present challenges to teacher retention (Kaden, Patterson Healy & Adams, 2016; Maranto & Shuls, 2012). When considered in tandem with the fact that No Excuse charter schools often require more from their teachers, the challenge of retaining teachers in these schools is exacerbated (Ash, 2014; Lack, 2009; Torres, 2013). This mixed methods study examined teacher retention in these unique schools through teacher interviews and the distribution of a survey to teachers across the country. Analysis of the data identified themes and factors that impact teachers’ decisions to remain in the classroom, migrate to another school, or leave the classroom altogether. Data was further analyzed using Herzberg’s Motivation-Hygiene theoretical framework, identifying teacher retention factors as satisfiers and dissatisfiers. Both qualitative and quantitative data suggest that there are two primary satisfiers that have a positive impact on teacher retention in these schools: feeling valued and strong principal leadership. Hygiene factors—or dissatisfiers—that had the biggest impact on teacher retention were: improving salary and benefits, improving work-life balance, and having positive relationships with colleagues. Further investment in and emphasis on these factors are recommended as a means to improve teacher retention in these unique schools.Doctor of Educatio