I have worked in Baltimore City and have taken surveys of various sorts for many years.I have been surveyed about everything. Often the same questions year after year! Pages of questions! No, I have never seen any changes that are a direct result of surveys. The exception presently is the school climate survey. I think administrators are very conscience of those results. Some issues may eventually be dealt with but not only due to a survey. Further, after the shameful Teacher Appreciation fiasco last Friday at the Orioles, I do not think any one of us awardees really believes anyone cares what a teacher thinks! Read my post in May under Teacher Achievement after the fact.

Baltimore County schools are concerned about retention when the survey shows that 90% of teachers are planning on staying in the district? Are we supposed to feel bad for them or something?

I teach in the city and our kids need consistency - especially when it comes to keeping good teachers in the classroom. Imagine if we could keep 90% of our effective teachers in the City Schools... imagine what we could do with the funds we currently spend on training new teachers every year... imagine what a great sense of community we would be able to create with a large percentage of returning staff members.

Must be nice, Baltimore County. Must be nice.

Perhaps the dissatisfaction that BCPS teachers feel is with the superintendent and his associate and there was no opportunity to evaluate them. Thank God for wonderful principals that make sure schools are run well despite the lunacy. There has been a steady decline of quality people in central office positions for the last two years and the effects will be felt in the schools...unfortunately, too late for the children.

While many teachers completed the TELL survey, one only needs to look at the personnel documents that are released after each Board of Education Meeting; pages of resignations. Just grab the handouts after one meeting, you’ll find teachers who have resigned with 4 months, 7 months, 1 year. These teachers are still at the level where they can move into positions in higher paying systems.
I believe the teacher, the 90%, who plan to remain in the system are the dedicated long timers. These teachers are at the top of the BCPS pay scale and because of this, are unable to move to another-higher paying school system. Their years of dedication, which is not reflected in the later year of the pay scale, keeps them from making any type of move because it is much less expensive for those other systems to higher new teachers. Who would pay a 20 year veteran at the high salary when they can hirer 2 first year teachers.
Now back to the lack of respect by BCPS for those who have dedicated years to the children of Baltimore County Public Schools. For the first half of 2009-2010 may teachers will go a second year without a salary increase. Teachers who are moving to what should be called “blank” steps, which Dr. Hairston claims to desire to fill in and those with 26 or more years will not receive step increases. Dr. Hairston and the Board of Education have the funds available and have been given the opportunity by the Baltimore County Council to fill in the “blank” steps at the beginning of they school year but they have refused. It appears to this reader that they are trying to punish the teachers for being vocal about salary, 403b, and other issues and not falling into the “Yes” man parade that is now the Baltimore County Public School and School Board leadership.
But this is just one man’s opinion.

Where are the Baltimore City results? I found a link but you need a password from the school system! Way to go,Matin. Really transparent!

Joe Hairston has learned to spin data to make himself look good.There are many reasons that 86% of BCPS teachers responded that they planned to stay in their job. It has little with job satisfaction or how valued they feel as an employee.
I have 29 years in the county. Of course I plan to continue in my present job. I am the sole supporter of my family, of course I'm staying in my job. I have 2 sons in college, of course I'm staying in my job. The economic times are rough, of course I am staying in my job.
I read the resignation reports that note 35 - 60 resignations on each report. Are these mythical people?

Here is some data that Hairston can not hide from, though. For the first time since I have been teaching in Baltimore County there is a job fair for supervisory positions. In his tenure at BCPS he has gone through a deputy superintendent, 2 Chief academic officers, 2 heads of curriculum and instruction as well as other supervisory personnel. Seems as if the superintendent is experiencing a retention problem of his own. Spin that.

Elisabeth:

The data's not available to folks outside of the schools in question, and probably won't be made public until later this year (based on what the TELL Web site says).

The idea, I'm told, is to give schools/districts time to analyze and respond to the issues raised, and develop a plan to start handling them.

The Baltimore County info was truly a preliminary analysis - and limited in scope - because of this restriction on going into details right now.

As I said earlier, look at the board agenda. Here's the info. Board date followed by the exhibit letter, number of resignations, range of years (in one case days) of service and the number of resignations for those with = or < 1 year of service. Go check the documents yourself (http://www.bcps.org/board/agendas/default.htm)

05/19/2009 (D); 66; 5 mon. to 15 years;18
05/05/2009 (C); 23; 6 mon. to 14 years; 11
04/21/2009 (T); 48; 6 mon. to 13 years; 12
03/10/2009 (L); 30; 1 year to 16 years; 2
02/10/2009 (J); 26; 1 mon. to 9 years; 10
01/13/2009 (Z); 16; 3 mon. to 13 years; 8
12/02/2008 (G); 5; 2 mon. to 1 year; 3
11/05/2008 (D); 8; 1 mon. to 1 year; 8
10/07/2008 (F); 14; 1 year to 16 years; 2
09/09/2008 (E); 60; 2 DAYS to 25 years; 7
08/12/2008 (N); 131; 7 mon. to 23 years; 11
07/08/2008 (I); 98
TOTAL: 623

BWT and John make some great points. I hope people pay attention!

BWT is exactly right. The BCPS positions are filled and people are fired before any signs of progress can be made. Someone needs to wise up to Dr. Hairston's "blame games" and take a look at the decisions he is making as Superintendent. I can assure you once you get past the smoke and mirrors you won't like what you see.

I see a comment above by John about Principals. I couldn't disagree more. Many principals across the school system have minimal experience as classroom teachers. I recently heard a principal say she knew she would be an Asst. Principal within 5 years of teaching. I know of many others with even fewer years. One newly appointed principal has less than 3 years experience as a classroom teacher. Principals are to be the instuctional leaders of the schools. How can that be true with so many having so few teaching years?

Once again, the board of ed. needs to take a better look at what is going on inside BCPS and begin pointing their fingers at the man at the top. Enough of the blame games, Dr. Hairston. You are the end of the line.

In response to Carla and Arin . Many of the names you see on the resignation list are educators who have decided that they have had enough of the "mobbing" that is taking place amongst Baltimore County school employees. New administrators learn very quickly that they can deflect attention from their inexperience and incompetence by choosing a handful of teachers in their buildings to malign and harass all school year. These same administrators rely on the fact that teachers do not often know basic labor law or their rights as outlined in the Master Agreement. The teachers of Baltimore County need to call upon TABCO to place pressure on the powers that be to improve the overall working conditions in the County.

jt hit the nail on the head....BCPS is being led in a direction that will be hard to turn around after several years of weak instruction...it is coming. We can only pray that the leader and his assistant are seen for what they really are, before it is too late for our students. And, why does the board allow this to happen? Such a shame.

Just backing up Mike and jt - the public has NO idea how desperate BCPS is for decent administrators. Most of the newbie AP's have practically ran from the classroom with less than 5 years experience with the idea that the front office would be a "greener pasture." Just took an online supervisory course - the average tenure of the class was less than three years. Unfortunately, few new teachers are in the biz to become great teachers - they want leadership and higher pay (actually the ap's make far less when you weigh in the long hours, lack of opportunities for extra duty pay not to mention the numerous headaches dealing with difficult kids and parents). Most of the experienced and EFFECTIVE teachers out there know better, love to teach and stay in the classroomon on the front lines often becoming department chairs who call the instructional shots and mentor the new teachers. They are the unsung heroes of many schools.