Jason Kelce on the ways local universities are working to keep teachers in Philly

We're heading to Buffalo this weekend, where teacher shortages are only as much of an obstacle as they are elsewhere in the U.Southward. I've been so fortunate in my life to have awesome teachers ( and to be married to an instructional adjutant). And hither in Philly, Drexel University, among other institutions, is doing really innovative work to attract — and retain — teachers.

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See, nationally, nearly 50 percent of teachers leave the profession within the first five years, explains Sarah Ulrich, acquaintance dean for Teacher Educational activity at Drexel's School of Education. In big urban districts similar Philadelphia, she goes on, it is closer to three years. That leaves districts that are already struggling with gaps and a asymmetric number of teachers who lack experience and expertise, every bit their more than seasoned peers get out to work in more than affluent districts or other fields.

"What we're focused on is not simply teacher shortages, but the fair and equal distribution of instructor talent," says Ulrich. To that cease, Drexel offers two undergraduate and one graduate-level teacher residency program, with the goal of preparing quality teachers who can be set up on Day 1, after graduation, to serve our students. " The research shows that teachers that are prepared through residency models are more likely to remain in urban settings beyond those three years," says Ulrich.

These residents spend a total academic year embedded in a Philly public school—receiving a salary, benefits, and tuition support from the School Commune of Philadelphia—and go an integral office of the schoolhouse squad. Academy of Pennsylvania and Temple University have similar programs—Ulrich says that our Philly institutions are all committed to solving this trouble together—though Drexel is the simply local academy that's part of the National Center for Teacher Residencies , a network of residencies throughout the country that works to develop and test best practices.

Some other cool program from Drexel is DragonsTeach Middle Years , which specifically focuses on preparing teachers to make full the dire gaps in the teaching ranks in grades half dozen through 8, particularly in math and scientific discipline.

And Drexel doesn't just send grads into the wilderness one time they graduate—it offers gratuitous, ongoing professional person development to alumni through its Early Career Practitioner Institute (ECPI).

So far, their residents are already breaking the national trend: The kickoff two cohorts of Drexel residents accept shown an 88 percent retention charge per unit!

What strikes me as being really cool about these programs is this idea of team-edifice—making residents feel similar part of the school squad, the Drexel squad, and the Philly squad. Fly, teachers, fly!

Adjacent week, we'll head to Chicago, and I'll tell you nearly a actually special program involving elders and our schools.

PS: If yous've been paying close attention to our charts, yous'll notice that the numbers for Philly are again unlike. That's considering, this week, we're focusing solely on traditional public schools and not charter schools to give you lot an apples-to-apples comparing; in Buffalo, charters are operated independently, and not equally office of the district.

Philadelphia Eagles	Buffalo Bills
# of students in traditional public schools 128,102	# of students in traditional public schools 33,415
% graduated high school 69	% graduated loftier school 65
% population with a BA 26	% population with a BA 25
$ per student 15,000	$ per pupil 28,350
% students economically disadvantaged 73	% students economically disadvantaged 77
% students of colour of 86	% students of color of 80
% students in charter schools 34	% students in charter schools 20
% special education students fifteen	% special education students 21
% english linguistic communication learners 12	% english linguistic communication learners 21

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Source: https://thephiladelphiacitizen.org/jason-kelce-drexel-teacher-residency/

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