About 40 of Mansion's 150 teachers left in the first two years of Talent Development, says Principal Highsmith. More have requested transfers. However, new teachers are assigned to Mansion based on seniority, Highsmith can not hire his own replacements. Such union rules also have limited how much impact Talent Development can have on teacher performance. Morrison notes that the model was designed to adapt to such circumstances.
Some teachers have a different view of the model's limitations.
Talent Development has done more to change 9th grade than it has upper grades, they say. Bruce Ressner points out Talent Development has not changed the way he teaches 12th-grade social studies. But many teachers credit Talent Development for imposing structure and order on Mansion where there was none. Diane Holliday, a 27-year Mansion teacher, says since team leaders and academy principals were added to the staff, the academies can work more independently. Working with her 10th graders has been easier, too, now that 9th graders are in a separate school.