Educators across Maryland speak out about their school environments
Supportive school leaders. Time for planning and
collaboration. Adequate classroom resources and support services. Mentoring for
new teachers. Staff input in decision-making that affects instruction.
These are some of the conditions of teaching and learning that
educators know—and research clearly shows—are critical to retaining
high-quality teachers and staff and raising the student achievement in public
schools.
How do Maryland’s public schools stack up?
In 2011, almost 46,000 educators shared their perception of their school conditions in the TELL Maryland online survey, and in many areas those educators were more positive about their teaching environments than in 2009.
The results portray an
education workforce reasonably satisfied with conditions in their schools in
terms of school safety, collaboration and trust, and support from school
administration. Those sentiments help explain why Maryland’s public schools have
recently received plenty of national accolades.
Governor O'Malley remarked in a blog post, "We will continue to listen to our educators because they are integral to building that better future for our children and preparing them for the jobs of tomorrow."
Levels of satisfaction with the school environment still vary widely from district
to district and school to school. And the survey identified some common areas
of concern among educators that will be important areas for discussion and
action in the months and years ahead.
Want to see your school’s results? Visit
www.tellmaryland.org. Results are only available for schools with a participation rate of 50 percent or more.