Charlotte teacher turnover high; experience lacking
Wednesday, October 31st, 2007
By Chris Fitzsimon
Ann Doss Helms, The Charlotte Observer CHARLOTTE - Students in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools are more likely than peers statewide to lose their teachers or be taught by rookies, school report cards released Tuesday show.
Meanwhile, Mecklenburg taxpayers paid significantly more per student — $2,517 per child, compared with an average local expense of $1,949 per pupil across the state. Local spending ranged from $1,542 to $1,842 in six surrounding counties.
Superintendent Peter Gorman said the county money helps the school system teach students who live in poverty or don’t speak English well, as well as large numbers in advanced classes.
"We’ve got more kids at both ends of the spectrum," he said. "It’s expensive."
School report cards, required by the federal No Child Left Behind Act, compile data on test scores; discipline and safety; spending; and teacher experience, qualifications and turnover.
Much of the data, such as test scores and graduation rates, already have been released by the state or individual districts. But the new report gives a clearer picture of how districts stack up.
The comparison highlighted a plus for Charlotte schools: White students continue to outperform peers across the state. And for the first time, black and low-income high-school students are matching or surpassing state averages and peers in Wake County.
Minority and low-income students statewide and in both large districts continue to trail white and middle-class peers, however. (more…)
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