"Our True North:" the impact of the New Teachers Collaborative Induction Program and the Coalition of Essential Schools Principles on teacher retention and satisfaction
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Abstract
Teachers face a variety of challenges whether they are new to the classroom or veterans. Studies from the past decade, as well as more recent research, show that our teacher workforce has become younger, less experienced, and is dwindling in size, particularly in urban and rural, public-school districts. We also have research showing that teacher preparation programs help teachers feel ready to be in the classroom and, to some extent, better able to help their students succeed. There has been some recent research regarding the elements that make up teacher preparation programs and what may make them successful, however, this research exists for only a select few programs, and the guidelines for programs vary greatly from state to state. What if we could look at one under-studied program that utilizes specific principles and values and gain insights that could help teacher preparation programs on a larger scale? This study examines one specific program–the New Teachers Collaborative (NTC) run out of The Francis W. Parker Essential Charter School in Devens, MA–and determines the impact of the program’s ties to the Coalition of Essential Schools (CES) and its principles and values on participants' retention in the field of education and their general career satisfaction. The CES, founded by Theodore Sizer and others, is based upon 10 Common Principles rather than prescribing a specific model of secondary education. This case study involved surveying participants of the program over its 30-year history and interviewing a selection of those survey participants. The qualitative data collected from the surveys and interviews showed that 92% of the NTC participants surveyed continue to work in education or “education-adjacent” fields, and 60% of those surveyed are currently K-12 public school classroom teachers. The majority of survey participants see themselves remaining in the education field, and many stated that the CES principles have a positive impact on their feelings regarding the teaching profession. Overall, decency and trust within an educational setting, as well as valuing student voice and participation, were key principles allowing teachers to maintain positivity and continue to work in the field. On a larger scale, if more teacher preparation programs were centered on the core values of decency, trust, and student voice, it is argued that more teachers would be willing to weather the challenges of the profession and remain in the classroom.
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2025