The politics of charter school co-location (when a public charter school shares space with a traditional district school) have always been fraught with emotion. In an effort to cut through the spin and get to the reality, Democrats for Education Reform has released a new brief entitled Teacher Voice/Teacher Choice: Teacher Satisfaction in NYC Public Schools. This document unpacks what teachers themselves have to say through the most recent NYC Department of Education surveys and points to a surprising revelation: teachers in co-located charter schools reported being more satisfied than the traditional public school colleagues with whom they share a building. These charter school teachers reported receiving more feedback from their school leaders, and claimed, in significantly higher percentages, to be working in schools that set higher standards in the classroom and make student learning a priority.
The brief looks at the causes and implications of these responses, the results of which will change the conversation on charter school co-location. By focusing on the most pertinent aspects of teacher satisfaction, one of the key stakeholders in the effort to reform our schools has made it clear what needs to change and what needs to stay the same. The question now is whether we have the guts to listen to what teachers say and use those points as areas of focus when reforming our most struggling schools.
Read DFER’s Policy Brief Teacher Voice/Teacher Choice: Teacher Satisfaction in NYC Public Schools here.