New teachers are frustrated and overwhelmed, but there are relatively simple things schools can do to keep them on the job: Pay them more money, reduce the bureaucratic paperwork and provide more support from mentors, a panel of experts told an EdSource roundtable on Wednesday.

“We all know teachers are tired, they’re burnt out. They’re being asked to do more things than they’ve ever done, and in challenging conditions,” said Tommy Chang, chief executive officer of the New Teacher Center, a nonprofit that focuses on helping new teachers succeed. “This crisis is not new. It was always at our doorstep. Factors have become worse in the last two years, but we’ve known about these problems.”

The roundtable entitled: “The critical first years: How to effectively support and retain new teachers” covered ways that schools can do a better job supporting and retaining new teachers, half of whom quit within the first five years. Panelists described the specific obstacles new teachers face, especially teachers of color, and what would help them succeed.

All agreed that higher pay, especially in California’s more expensive areas, is crucial. But it shouldn’t just be reflected on a paycheck. The state and individual districts should also expand student loan forgiveness programs, offer housing stipends, cover costs associated with obtaining a credential and pay student-teachers for their work while they’re still in school.

The financial stress drives far too many talented teachers from the profession, they said.

“These financial burdens, in one of the most expensive areas of the country … can make you or break you,” said Gabrielle Wilson, a substitute high school teacher in Palo Alto Unified. “It’s just a lot.”

They also talked about the critical nature of mentorship, not just from veteran teachers assigned to assist new teachers, but from everyone on campus. Support, they said, must be comprehensive, long-term and linked directly to the challenges new teachers face in the classroom.

John Brazelton, a master teacher at Newport Harbor High School in Newport Beach, said he provides lesson plans to new teachers so they can focus their time on connecting with students and “creating the classroom culture that suits them personally.”

“Writing curriculum, making PowerPoints and devising labs — we’ve got all that,” said Brazelton, who’s been mentoring new teachers for 20 years. “Instead, let’s focus on the things that are going to cause you the most stress and anxiety, and that’s classroom management.”

Jenna Hewitt King, who teaches high school English at San Leandro High School, said she has so little time for grading and writing lesson plans that she often feels overwhelmed. She teaches five classes but only has one 55-minute period a day for preparation, which she’s sometimes forced to skip when she’s assigned to substitute in other classrooms.

She and most of her fellow teachers spend countless unpaid hours outside of school grading papers and creating lesson plans.

“It’s not sustainable. There’s just not enough time in the day to catch up,” said King, who was a Teach Plus California senior policy fellow last year. “I think that it plays a really big role in the burnout that teachers are feeling.”

Inordinate amounts of paperwork are also a burden for new teachers, panelists said. Obtaining a credential is more complicated than ever, they said, and the ever-increasing red tape only compounds the stress that new teachers already endure.

They specifically mentioned the edTPA, a required video assessment that most teachers have to pay for themselves, at a cost of $300 or more. Some states, including New York, have canceled the requirement, and California should too, panelists said.

“All these extra hoops that (new teachers) have to jump through for the state of California to issue a clear credential, all while they’re working full-time for free, and paying to be a student and doing the edTPA … it’s totally unnecessary,” Brazelton said. “There’s a lot (we should do) to make it more survivable and less chaotic and stressful for these new teachers, which I think is one of the primary reasons for burnout.”

Julie Sheldon, teacher induction coordinator for the Walnut Valley Consortium, said districts can help by paying some of the fees associated with credential requirements, such as the edTPA. They can also alleviate the workload for new teachers by assigning them to fewer committees and extra duties such as coaching or overseeing clubs. Ideally, new teachers should also have smaller classes and more time for preparation.

“The idea that newer teachers are given the hardest assignments is so wrong,” she said.

She also emphasized the importance of support, not just from a mentor but from the entire school staff. New teachers need practical, realistic advice and encouragement that’s tied directly to what they’re experiencing in the classroom, she said.

“After they’re done with their induction period, no one ever says, I wish there was more paperwork,” she said. “But they do say, I wish I had more time with my mentor.”

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  1. Andrew 8 months ago8 months ago

    Just get rid of the TPA. Who has the time and money for all of that nonsense?

  2. Irish Mary 10 months ago10 months ago

    There are a lot of challenges a teacher will be facing in the field of teaching especially those first time teachers. In my part, I am so lucky I have my 2 years experience in private school. 1 year as a head teacher. During those times, I endure all the challenges since I was the head. Currently, I am now in public school and I admit, it is more than a know challenge by everyone. … Read More

    There are a lot of challenges a teacher will be facing in the field of teaching especially those first time teachers. In my part, I am so lucky I have my 2 years experience in private school. 1 year as a head teacher. During those times, I endure all the challenges since I was the head. Currently, I am now in public school and I admit, it is more than a know challenge by everyone. Public school scenario is very challenging compared to private. I could say that my experiences could be some of the reasons why teachers become overwhelm and will decide to quit or just take a rest for a while. Honestly, because of what I experienced I got a check with a doctor.

  3. Craig 11 months ago11 months ago

    There are several things school districts can do to keep new teachers above and beyond hefty pay raise. Don't expect work beyond contracted hours. "Other duties as assigned" is just a way to get more blood from a turnip. If these duties are so important, then hire enough additional staff, classified and certificated to handle the work. For example, I know someone who works in a school district where scheduling a meeting, any sort of … Read More

    There are several things school districts can do to keep new teachers above and beyond hefty pay raise. Don’t expect work beyond contracted hours. “Other duties as assigned” is just a way to get more blood from a turnip. If these duties are so important, then hire enough additional staff, classified and certificated to handle the work.

    For example, I know someone who works in a school district where scheduling a meeting, any sort of meeting, IEP, Team Meetings, staff development, etc. is a joke because that district does not require their employees to use shared calendars. Teachers needing to schedule an IEP and do other office related tasks should be able to hand it off to a classified employee.

    Teachers should teach. School districts should either have a set curriculum or pay for an outside vendor to provide one. Teachers should never be told to just figure it out.

    Teachers should not have to rely on websites such as “Teachers Pay Teachers” for curriculum.

    Teachers should not have to pay for supplies out of pocket because a district office person denied a valid purchase.

    If you want teachers to stay and you also want new people to take up this profession, stop making it so difficult for teachers to do their job which is to educate students.

  4. Meghan Byrne 11 months ago11 months ago

    As a second year teacher, I agree with many parts of this article. I would have loved to have lesson plans available to me when I started. My first year I was often up until midnight, reading the teacher version of the textbook, trying to decipher what it was trying to get at, looking at standards, trying to make everything my own, and adjusting it for the students in my classes. It was exhausting. On … Read More

    As a second year teacher, I agree with many parts of this article. I would have loved to have lesson plans available to me when I started. My first year I was often up until midnight, reading the teacher version of the textbook, trying to decipher what it was trying to get at, looking at standards, trying to make everything my own, and adjusting it for the students in my classes. It was exhausting. On top of this, we are asked to do an “induction” program, which I thought at first would be helpful and supportive but ended up requiring a lot of additional work.

  5. Marisa Flynn 11 months ago11 months ago

    Did anyone talk about unacceptable student behavior and the fact that there’s little or no discipline in classrooms nor any consequences or punishment? Disruptive disrespectful conduct by students has become the norm in many classrooms. That is why many teachers (and retired teachers like me who sub) are quitting!

    Replies

    • CA citizen 11 months ago11 months ago

      Could not agree more with this statement! Not addressing the spiraling behavior issues and inclusion without appropriate supports is ignoring the elephant in the room.

  6. Todd Maddison 11 months ago11 months ago

    An article that starts with “we all know” is always suspect. What data is there supporting the basic thesis – that we have a crises among new teachers who are supposedly leaving in droves? Perhaps some data is in order? Something showing that “new” teachers – however we define that – are leaving at higher rates than in past years? Do we have actual data supporting the “half quit within the first five … Read More

    An article that starts with “we all know” is always suspect. What data is there supporting the basic thesis – that we have a crises among new teachers who are supposedly leaving in droves?

    Perhaps some data is in order? Something showing that “new” teachers – however we define that – are leaving at higher rates than in past years? Do we have actual data supporting the “half quit within the first five years” assertion, and if true is that unusual or just normal?

    And, while we’re at it, how about data showing that those leaving are leaving for higher pay – the number one suggestion to solve this assumed problem?

    Of course “She and most of her fellow teachers spend countless unpaid hours outside of school grading papers and creating lesson plans” is false.

    Teachers are salaried employees, they do not punch a clock, they are not paid by the hour. Like all salaried employees they are paid to complete the job they were hired to do. The hours working at home are not “unpaid”; she gets a check for her work.

    It’s unknown what her contracted hours are, but the typical teacher contract specifies work hours totaling around 500 hours per year less than private employees. Assuming a 180 day work schedule that means they have – which means if they work an additional 3 hours a day, every day, they will just reach the number of annual hours everyone else calls “normal full time work.”

    No doubt teachers are dedicated and work hard, but perhaps we should first establish there’s a real problem before moving on to solutions?

  7. Phil Kam 11 months ago11 months ago

    The solution is to offer hybrid and virtual classrooms to reduce the in-classroom student/teacher ratio to a more manageable number, increase administrative supports, provide destressing programs, and pay teachers more based on their productivity.

    Replies

    • Dr. Bill Conrad 11 months ago11 months ago

      Sorry Phil. Those are far from the solutions. There is abundant research that demonstrates smaller class size does not promote significantly higher academic achievement. That is because teachers continue to use the same ineffective practices with smaller class sizes that they used with their larger classes. The problem that nobody wants to acknowledge is that so many teachers and administrators are poorly prepared in content, pedagogy, and assessment skills. The solution will come in the transformation of … Read More

      Sorry Phil. Those are far from the solutions. There is abundant research that demonstrates smaller class size does not promote significantly higher academic achievement. That is because teachers continue to use the same ineffective practices with smaller class sizes that they used with their larger classes.

      The problem that nobody wants to acknowledge is that so many teachers and administrators are poorly prepared in content, pedagogy, and assessment skills.

      The solution will come in the transformation of the woeful colleges of education and instituting rigorous career ladders for teachers and administrators.

      First things first!

    • Jim 11 months ago11 months ago

      Have to agree with DBC on this. "pay teachers more based on their productivity" This is California, where the government takes orders from the CTU. Measuring teacher performance in any rigorous way will never happen. Pay for performance is an order of magnitude less likely. "hybrid and virtual classrooms" will lower student achievement and more than negate any advantage of retaining teachers. What could work is offshoring the teaching staff. You could have one teacher … Read More

      Have to agree with DBC on this.

      “pay teachers more based on their productivity” This is California, where the government takes orders from the CTU. Measuring teacher performance in any rigorous way will never happen. Pay for performance is an order of magnitude less likely.

      “hybrid and virtual classrooms” will lower student achievement and more than negate any advantage of retaining teachers. What could work is offshoring the teaching staff. You could have one teacher in India for every five students for example. That might help.

      “increase administrative supports” Increasing administrative staff or shifting money from classroom to non-teaching staff is the current destructive trend. 333 S Beaudry Ave would be the prime example of increasing administrative staff without any increase in student achievement.

  8. Hannah MacLaren 11 months ago11 months ago

    When we were external coaches in various LAUSD high schools, we gave ‘tool bags’ of materials and resources to each new teacher: things like paper clips, and markers, and calculators, etc. and etc. Things that were not provided by the school and represented what experienced teachers had collected themselves. Gave them a running start, and much appreciated by them.

    Replies

    • Dr. Bill Conrad 11 months ago11 months ago

      While your work is admirable, it is sad to realize that the trope of teaching as charity work is still thriving within our dysfunctional K-12 education system. Time for a transformation. No?

  9. Brian 11 months ago11 months ago

    Portions of this article are spot on. Here are a few more critical components that should be added. Politicians need to keep their hands out of education. Few, if any, have ever taught school at any level and do not comprehend the level of time and commitment this job takes. Administration and district offices need to institute no phone policies on every campus in the USA. This will help to minimize the "mental" … Read More

    Portions of this article are spot on. Here are a few more critical components that should be added.

    Politicians need to keep their hands out of education. Few, if any, have ever taught school at any level and do not comprehend the level of time and commitment this job takes.

    Administration and district offices need to institute no phone policies on every campus in the USA. This will help to minimize the “mental” anguish these students feel from being connected to negativity all day long. I also believe that tenure should be between three and five years for new educators. We short-circuit the system by removing teachers we deem “insufficient” before we have even given them a real chance to make mistakes and grow for those mistakes. We expect perfection from a beginner!

    Money is a short-term motivator, and will help, in the short-term. Better benefits, medical, dental, vision, etc… are what are really needed. Teachers pay extremely high monthly payments, up to $2,000 a month for these benefits, when private companies offer similar coverages for $300-$500 a month.

  10. Lan 11 months ago11 months ago

    The teachers after the Covid are very frustrated with not just academics but behaviors. Teachers not only teaching but also needing to know about psychology, ABA behaviors skill and no time to prep for lesson plan. Credentialing is another problem in CA, there are way too many tests just for the teacher pay. How many % of the credentialing apply to the real teaching job? If the teacher has experience or earn a master, should … Read More

    The teachers after the Covid are very frustrated with not just academics but behaviors. Teachers not only teaching but also needing to know about psychology, ABA behaviors skill and no time to prep for lesson plan. Credentialing is another problem in CA, there are way too many tests just for the teacher pay. How many % of the credentialing apply to the real teaching job? If the teacher has experience or earn a master, should waive for the credentialing. CBEST, CSET, RICA, CALTPA. after 5 years of BA for elementary teacher?

    Replies

    • Andrew 8 months ago8 months ago

      Agree 100%

  11. Jim 11 months ago11 months ago

    This is an unbelievable exercise in denial. An entire article without addressing the elephant in the room. Teachers’ unions are run by senior teachers who push districts to implement policies that favor senior teachers over more junior teachers.

  12. Dr. Bill Conrad 11 months ago11 months ago

    Actually, the best thing you can do to retain new teachers is to ensure that they have solid content knowledge, pedagogy, and assessment skills. The colleges of education for the most part are not accomplishing this critical work and must be transformed. A great lesson is the best way to manage a classroom. Teachers who are expert at explicit instruction and formative assessment with descriptive feedback will fare much better in a classroom than … Read More

    Actually, the best thing you can do to retain new teachers is to ensure that they have solid content knowledge, pedagogy, and assessment skills. The colleges of education for the most part are not accomplishing this critical work and must be transformed.

    A great lesson is the best way to manage a classroom. Teachers who are expert at explicit instruction and formative assessment with descriptive feedback will fare much better in a classroom than novice teachers who come with a grab bag of classroom management skills.

    While mentor teachers are important, they must be expert teachers. Novice teachers must be part of a rigorous career ladder where they can progress from being novice to expert in well-defined classroom professional practices. Novice teachers should never be given the most challenging teaching assignments.

    Expert teachers should make 6-figure salaries and form the pool from which mentors and principals are selected.

    No more tinkering. Transformation is what is required for Teacher support and growth.

    You know. Like a real profession!