What is teacher retention like at Madera?
We are considering transferring our elementary school child out of WCCUSD (Madera) and into an elementary school in Albany. We understand the difficulties of getting WCCUSD to release us and Albany to accept us, but my concern is not so much about that as it is about the current state of things at Albany elementary schools. It seems teacher turnover is a problem everywhere right now, but it is of major concern to us in our current school (Madera) and seems to have been a problem already for the last couple of years since the new principal came in. Can someone who has current experience with Albany elementary schools chime in about the state of teacher retention at Marin, Cornell and Oceanview? What is teacher and administrator morale like at those schools right now? Are families happy with the teachers and administrators they are encountering at those schools? Any insight would be truly appreciated. Thank you.
Parent Replies
Not sure how long you've been at Madera and if you're trying to point the finger at the principal for the the turnover rate, but the last few teachers who've left Madera have largely been due to retirement. Also, don't know if you're aware of the number of teachers we still need at other WCCUSD schools (not to mention across the nation!), but I recommend you look at the turnover rate and hiring gaps in WCCUSD in general, and you'll find that Madera is actually in a better position than most WCCUSD schools (at least it was at the start of the 2022-2023 school year). I would say that this is largely due to the principal's efforts. I know this as I've also been in touch with him to not only express my concern but to see how we can better support him and the school overall when it comes to teacher/staff hiring, I recommend you do the same if you're that perturbed by it. I know this doesn't directly answer your question about Albany teacher retention rate, but you've already answered part of your question by noting that the teacher turnover is a problem everywhere.
WCCUSD offered a retirement incentive a few years ago and many teachers at Madera took advantage of it.The new principal there is great and I do not believe turnover has anything to do with him.Parents and teachers really like him.