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"Nationally, 40% of our teachers are leaving the profession in the first four years of teaching. Those statistics hold true in Mississippi, too. If we don't do something to turn this around, who will teach our children?" -- Dr. William Lewis, Executive Director, The Mississippi Forum for Public Education
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Dr. Lewis' words send a chill. What have we done to our teachers? These are the dedicated professionals who do one of the most important jobs there is -- teach our children. Yet the public support for education is not what it should be, leaving some educators wondering if anyone cares. It's no wonder there is a teacher shortage.
Jackson Public Schools wants to attack the problem head-on. They've identified several goals, which, when achieved, will help the district attract and retain professional educators:
- Provide the work force with a common set of state-of-the-art productivity tools
- Employ data-driven decision-making for professional development
- Conduct real-time assessment of teacher performance
- Improve communications among all professionals
- Ensure that teachers are teaching within their area of competence and certification
By doing these things, Jackson Public Schools hopes to see an increase in work force motivation and retention and improved job satisfaction. Success begets success. A better work environment will make happier teachers. Happier teachers will remain in the district and in the profession. Word gets out that Jackson Public Schools is a good place to teach; new teachers will apply to work in Jackson's schools. The groundwork is laid for future recruiting. Over time, the status of the profession is elevated. Good teachers + good teaching environment + good tools + data-driven professional development = a quality educational system in Jackson Public Schools.
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"We have to attract and retain excellent teachers. To do that, we need to improve the work environment and give them the feedback they need to feel successful." -- Mr. Ron Sellers, Deputy Superintendent, Jackson Public Schools |
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