Melissa Hinkle, a first-grade teacher hired in December, said she is working on improving her time management. Royce Jacomen, hired in October after teaching for a year in Pennsylvania, said he is learning about the Spanish-speaking culture shared by many of his students. Surges in teacher turnover, principals say, often occur when a veteran principal changes schools or retires. Principals at other schools hear about such leadership changes before they happen and take the opportunity to grab the best teachers at the affected schools. You are better off with someone you know, they tell the teachers, leaving the new principals with huge gaps in their staffs.
Most principals also have to struggle with last-minute changes in funding.
That adds to the stress for new teachers and the likelihood of more turnover. They need more money for teachers. Today at 1 p.m., Post reporter Jay Mathews will take questions on this article and the school survey results. News Jobs AP Shopping Archives Entertain.