CommenTerry: Volume Nineteen | Eastern North Carolina Now

    Publisher's Note: These posts, by Dr. Terry Stoops, and aptly titled CommonTerry, appears courtesy of our friends at the John Locke Foundation. A full account of Dr. Stoops's posts, or him mentioned as a credible source, are listed here in BCN.

Houston ISD in NC to address 19% turnover rate

    The mainstream media is reporting that the Houston Independent School District will hold a job fair in Raleigh later this week. The folks from Houston promise on-the-spot hiring and a starting salary of $46,805. But North Carolina teachers who are tempted to find fame and fortune in the Wild West should do their homework first.

    Houston Independent School District (HISD) Superintendent Terry Grier knows where to find good teachers.

    After all, Grier is no stranger to North Carolina -- he is the former superintendent of Guilford County Schools. So, nobody should be surprised that Grier is trying to lure teachers from the Triangle to HISD, a district that has close to 60,000 more students than the largest district in North Carolina, Wake County Schools. If you think the Wake County Schools bureaucracy is bad, you ain't seen anything yet. Last year, only half of the over 22,000 HISD staff were teachers.

    But that is the least of their concerns. During the 2012-13 school year, HISD teacher turnover was nearly 19 percent, and it has increased 5.6 percent over the last five years (See Facts and Stats below). Moreover, the HISD turnover rate was 3.4 percent higher than the Texas state average last year. In other words, the district's extremely high turnover rate has forced them to be more aggressive in recruiting teachers. Raleigh is one among many recruiting trips coordinated by HISD human resources staff.

    (Just in case you were wondering, North Carolina's teacher turnover rate was 14.3 percent or one percentage point lower than the Texas state average last year. Wake County's 12.1 percent turnover rate wasn't even in the same ballpark as HISD's.)

    According to the most current HISD job listing, HISD has a need for teachers in specific areas -- math, science, special education, and English as a Second Language (ESL). Of the district's 387 openings, over 200 were centered on these four areas. There were 44 mathematics vacancies, 49 science openings, 53 special education jobs, and 60 ESL/bilingual specialist vacancies. In other words, teachers in these areas will receive offers at the job fair. I suspect that high school English and social studies teachers will not.

    North Carolina teachers are free to accept the jobs that fulfill their career aspirations and best meet the needs of their families. It is wrong to assume, however, that the "grass is greener" in Houston or in any school district that happens to pay teachers more.

    Facts and Stats

Teacher turnover and student per teacher rates, 2008 -- 2013
    Source: Texas Academic Performance Report, 2008-09 through 2012-13

    Acronym of the Week

    HISD -- Houston Independent School District

    Quote of the Week

    "Houston Independent School District (HISD) is looking for teachers ready to make an impact in Houston, Texas classrooms and is hosting a job fair for North Carolina Teachers in Raleigh, NC. HISD will be diligently searching for effective teachers to join our team for the 2014-2015 school year (with a starting salary of $46,805.)."     -- NC- Houston ISD Teacher Job Fair Registration 2014 website


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