Johnson, Susan Moore & The Project on the Next Generation of Teachers. (2004 ). Finders and Keepers: Helping New Teachers Survive and Thrive in Our Schools. Reviewed by Susannah Buckley, Creighton School District, Phoenix, Arizona

	Johnson, Susan Moore & The Project on the Next Generation of Teachers. (2004 ). Finders and Keepers: Helping New Teachers Survive and Thrive in Our Schools. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. 336 pp. $24.95 (Cloth)     ISBN 0-7879-6925-7 Reviewed by Susannah Buckley Creighton School District, Phoenix, Arizona August 10, 2004 As the mentor/facilitator for a small, urban school district I find myself in the dynamic role of action researcher. Though education and its many entities have been studied for years, teacher retention and attrition is a relatively new phenomenon that has only now come to the forefront. So it is with great interest that I read the latest research in the hopes that I might find attributes of induction programs, that have been successful in the retention of their new teachers, and apply them to ours. This past year I worked with 42 new teachers, next year I will have approximately 60. Though we put a lot of time and training into coaching and mentoring our new teachers the district’s attrition rate seems to be fairly consistent with national trends, 50% leave within five years. Moore Johnson’s book and the trials and tribulations described by the new teachers she followed were not very different from what many of our new teachers go through thousands of miles away. I am both excited and challenged to implement some of the components the new teachers identified as being supportive. The book lacked data that directly linked the induction programs and their components to greater teacher retention. This year, as the change agent(s) are introduced in our district, we hope to find this evidence. New teachers are very different from the generation of career teachers approaching retirement. Today’s teachers view teaching tentatively or conditionally, rather than as a certain, lifelong career. Ways of supporting them need careful and deliberate consideration. Susan Moore Johnson’s Finders and Keepers: Helping New Teachers Survive and Thrive in Our Schools offers evidence that “we’re misdiagnosing the problem as ‘recruitment’ when it’s really retention.” (p. 11) Her book provides school administrators with guidelines on how they might purposefully engage new teachers in the culture and practices of the school, make them feel valued, and aid them in success with students. It is also likely to be useful for new teachers looking for jobs and for researchers. Johnson contrasts today’s teachers who see teaching “as one of several in a series of careers they expect to have.” (p. 28) with the previous generation who viewed teaching as a life-long career. Startling statistics are marshaled throughout the book: “30 percent of new teachers leave within three years, 50 percent within five (p. xi). The cost of (teacher) turnover, is estimated to be 20 percent of the leaving teacher's salary” (p. 12). The reader is made to feel the sense of impending crisis. The opening chapters give an overview of how Moore Johnson’s three-year study was undertaken. Fifty Boston first- and second-year teachers were chosen and followed. The teachers were interviewed twice, once during the 1999-2000 school year and again after the 2000-2001 school year. In the summers of 2002 and 2003, brief surveys were sent to them. The methodology for the study is fully explained in the appendices. Throughout the book statistical findings are reinforced by quotes from ten of the new Bostonian teachers, whose experiences were closely examined in individual case studies. The study is bolstered by statistics from other states as well. Relevant data from the literature is referenced throughout, much of it pertaining to the effects of teacher quality on low-income students. Johnson noted, for example, that: The IQ of scores of teachers have fallen since the early 1970s, and teaching candidates have lower SAT scores than their counterparts preparing for other professions…as a group, (they) may be less capable. (p. 8) Large disparities in teacher qualifications exist among urban, rural, and suburban schools and between schools serving low-income and high-income students. (p. 13) Why Teachers Leave It is important for school administrators, public-policy decision makers, researchers and general citizens to understand why teachers leave. An important finding from Moore Johnson’s work is that: The extent to which the school provided organized support for new teachers influenced our respondents’ decisions to stay, look for another school, or leave teaching altogether. (p. 113) Prominent in the accounts of the teachers who chose to move were stories of principals who had been absent, punitive, or controlling. (p. 115) The book offers painful accounts of new teachers struggling alone; working in isolation without the support of colleagues or administration. Many of the teachers in this study said that their schools failed to provide the support they needed. As Moore Johnson concluded: Inappropriate or overwhelming assignments, isolating schedules, lack of school-wide systems for discipline, inadequate supports for student services, and disregard for teachers’ views interfered with new teachers’ efforts to make a difference in the lives of their students. (p. 118). The new teachers struggled with student discipline and were often surprised by the low levels of skills their students possessed, and their lack of motivation and engagement. Teachers who remained in the profession sought more stable and supportive positions: Those who moved left schools where student disrespect and disruption were taken for granted and looked for schools that had well-established norms about respect, effective discipline systems. (p.114) …teachers talked about coping on their own, without the benefit of a school-wide approach to discipline that was endorsed and upheld by teachers and administrators alike…often new teachers reported being reluctant to ask for administrative help, in the belief that their requests would evoke disapproval. (p. 110) Teachers shared feelings of isolation. They reported that they were made to feel ineffective if they asked for intervention with unruly students. One of the limitations of the study is that the sample is small, limited to Massachusetts, and fails to include subjects at a school with formal mentor/induction programs. “Because our study began in 1999, before most schools began to offer formal induction programs, few teachers in our study experienced a deliberate and sustained system of induction.” (p. 17). One would be hard pressed to find a school district today that did not have some form of new teacher support, formal or informal, in place. The study cited research that teachers are less able to connect with and build relationships with students with whom they do not share social characteristics such as race and ethnicity and that without these bonds they find it difficult to establish discipline and respect. This was especially true of African American students. For example the case of one teacher who left a school serving a high population of minority students: At her new high school, which served predominately white, middle class students, Esther found a more familiar community, supportive colleagues, and administrators and achieved a much greater sense of success. (p. 87) It is believed that some teachers transferred to schools with populations of students they could identify with where they perceived they would be more effective. Teachers today envision a career that is dynamic and offers differentiated roles beyond the classroom: …those who intended to work in education long-term hoped to hold positions such as curriculum developers, mentor coordinators, or staff developers (p. 227)…for this group, the flat, undifferentiated teaching career does not offer the opportunities for professional growth that they seek (p. 228) Thus many of the teachers who leave classroom teaching stay in education in some capacity, e.g. administration. Why Teachers Stay Many of the book’s findings are similar to those documented in earlier research by Horn. Horn identified nine elements and created an instrument for evaluating high- intensity induction programs (on the web at http: //azk12.nau.edu/services/teacherInduction/elements/). However Moore Johnson’s research revealed additional issues, including the need for curriculum, school-wide discipline, new teachers’ expectations of principals and salary, and the importance of creating an integrated learning community. She also noted the central importance of coaching support. Most of the new teachers in the study did not have a set curriculum to follow, and felt this as a lack: …teachers expressed a desire for more, not less, structure and guidance. They expected, however, that within that structure there would be enough flexibility to adapt curriculum to their students’ needs. (p. 121) Teachers in the study had access to state standards but not the scope and sequence on how to teach them. They talked about spending hours after school and on weekends trying to come up with lessons, activities, and resources. Many of those that had materials found that they were not appropriate or at the skill level their students needed. A point the book makes is that of high-income schools provide effective support to new teachers and, thus being more attractive, lure teachers away. This is illustrated time and again using the case study of Victoria, teaching in a school with many resources. Her positive experience is contrasted against the nine others, serving in low-income areas. New teachers need support and guidance in order to achieve success, yet that support is often hardest to come by in low-income urban and rural schools, which very often have few institutional resources and low levels of student achievement. Those schools, in turn, have a harder time keeping teachers. The result is the steady turnover of teachers in high-poverty and high-minority schools and a staffing disparity between the low-income and high-income schools in the nation (Haycock, 1998). I would agree that high-poverty and high-minority schools are challenged to bridge the achievement gap in standardized testing however I do not feel that they have few institutional resources. Title 1 monies and grants help to even the playing field. Rather the problem is likely attributable to the higher number of new teachers in urban schools every year. More stable, high-income schools have fewer new teachers each year and thus they are able to nurture them one-on-one. Urban districts are made to orientate new teachers in mass impersonal systems, making them the training grounds for wealthier districts. The book does a good job of selecting three different induction models serving different populations. Two of the programs are in Boston and the third is in Chicago. Easy to read “exhibits” are included in chapter nine with references and greater detail on each included in subsequent chapters. For those in charge of their district’s induction the exhibits are useful as they provide a menu of ideas for what one might include. Many of the attributes listed could be implemented easily i.e.; new teacher seminars, classroom observations, and grade level teams. Other attributes would take more planning and money (e.g. retreats, specialists, and coaches.) The book strongly emphasized that the induction programs be site based and not led by the district; First, and in our view most important, these programs are deliberately school-based, that is, they meet the teachers where they are. They do not rely exclusively, or even primarily, on large district-sponsored meetings. (p. 221) Since the book only highlighted three exemplary school based models it is hard to understand how the authors came to the conclusion that district-based induction is a poor model. As the administrator in charge of a district led induction program I find we are able to offer all of the attributes listed in the exemplary site based models. Furthermore, Moore Johnson failed to include the numbers of new teachers being served by the induction programs. This would help in understanding what might be feasible for smaller and larger district. Without hard numbers it will be difficult to sell a school board on funding the induction and mentor models proposed. Often they depend on funding from short-term grants, and when the grant is gone, the roles disappear as well…(the induction programs) are subject to the tugs, pulls, and directives from the central office…will the differentiated roles created by these schools weather district cuts or endure with the introduction of new reforms that use resources in a different way? (pp. 241-242) The induction and mentoring program my district is able to offer our new teachers is funded through a grant which will end at the end of this coming school year. I had hoped to find statistics in Moore Johnson’s book, showing greater teacher retention or improved student achievement based upon the effects of mentoring and induction to present to my school board in the hopes of continued funding. Implications for personnel and hiring practices The book offers suggestions about the hiring process. Earlier research studying four states has shown that hiring practices were “information poor;” that is they focused more on the needs of the potential employer and information flowed only one way. Employers relied heavily on readily available paper credentials and interviews rather than observations and portfolios. In general the processes were judged to be outmoded and inefficient. The book did a good job of suggesting how the hiring process needs to change: One of the most important things that schools and districts can do is start hiring early, so that (1) hiring decisions can be deliberate and well informed, (2) new teachers have sufficient time to prepare for their new positions, and (3) urban districts do not routinely lose strong candidates to other (often suburban) districts that make job offers in March or April. (p. 185) While acknowledging that these suggestions are easier said than done, Moore Johnson’s book suggests making better matches between teachers and school sites by focusing on “information rich” hiring. Hiring should be shifted from the district office level to the school site. Information-rich hiring processes rely on various activities, including interviews with a wide cross-section of the school community, teaching demonstrations, and observations of classes or staff meetings. (p. 181) Such a scenario would be ideal. However in many districts like my own, faced with hiring more than 60 new teachers after the school year has ended, it is unrealistic. Moore acknowledges the problem: xNotably, the schools that are least organized to hire and support new teachers are often located in low-income communities, where there are the greatest concentrations of new teachers. When these schools are unable to support new teachers, they also fail the students who most depend on public education for their future. (p. 249) The reality for many poor urban districts is that they are in a sellers market; if the teacher holds a valid certificate, gives a positive interview, and has a good reference an offer is made. Recently principals have become savvy to the fact that they will inevitably have open positions to fill and are becoming more creative. For example in my district money is ‘found’ to open ancillary positions mid-year (e.g. reading specialist) for promising student teachers in the hopes that they will fill a classroom vacancy in the fall. The book author also suggests ways that new teacher candidates can do a better job navigating the hiring process and making sure that they are a good fit with the potential school. New teachers should ask questions related to such things as: the support they can expect, courseload, adopted curriculum, if there are formal mentors assigned by grade level or subject area, if a discipline plan is in place, parent involvement, and planning or preparation time provided. Directions for further research Moore Johnson has done a nice job suggesting directions for further research. She provides her interview protocols and research methods. This is helpful for researchers wishing to replicate the study, perhaps for a doctoral dissertation. A useful comparison would be to examine stable, high-income schools with transient, low-income district, and/or one experiencing rapid growth and expansion. Johnson’s study gave a small qualitative taste of each. Chapter Ten, co-authored by Morgan L. Donaldson, begins by critiquing previous studies done by Michael Huberman, Sylvia Mei Ling Yee, Milbrey McLaughlin and others. She questions limited population samples, suggests that the data is outdated, and argues that the scope was limited. Moore Johnson and Donaldson’s criticism is intriguing: The questions Huberman raised in his study ignored the possibility that a teacher’s career might involve extended or redefined roles beyond the classroom. (p. 225) From my own experience I would have to agree with Moore Johnson and Donaldson since my “teacher on assignment” position has prompted me to reflect and grow in ways that would not be measurable using Huberman’s paradigm. The book states that “we sought to ensure that our sample would include variation by race, gender, ethnicity, and career stage” (p. 15). It then goes further to say that the ten new teachers’ experiences highlighted throughout the book are a subgroup which represent the experiences of the fifty teachers in the study. My feeling is that the study really started out to look at teachers who had gone through the Massachusetts Signing Bonus Program (MSBP) since forty per cent (4 out of the 10) went through it. This statistic should have been made available in the “Table of 1999-2000 Participant Information for Ten Featured Teachers” (page 31) instead of being buried in the case study write-ups. The program is unique to Massachusetts and offers a $20,000 signing bonus. Furthermore, only half of those referenced were first career entrants, the other five had gone into teaching later in life as a second career. Thus the sample did not seem typical and the findings may not be transferable to other new teacher situations. Since my district serves a high English Language Learner population I would have liked to of read more about the effects of race, ethnicity, and language. Specifically, the role that it may have played in teacher retention. This was touched upon briefly: Teachers report that building positive, productive relationships with children is more difficult when they do not share characteristics such as social expectations, race, ethnicity and first language. (p. 79) But none of the questions asked by the interviewers address race, ethnicity, or class issues directly; nor were quotes from the interviewees offered on the topic. Since many districts with high teacher turnover also have high English Language Learner populations it would be helpful to learn more about how to prepare new teachers for the associated challenges. Additionally, since an integrated, professional culture was found to yield the most positive results I would like to know more about what this culture looks like. The book describes it as: Professional culture is the blend of values, norms, and modes of professional practice that develops among teachers in a school. The professional culture of a school has an enormous impact on new teachers; since they look toward their colleagues for signals about how best to do good work. (p. 140) The closest I could come to understanding how it might look was: In integrated professional cultures, mentoring is organized to benefit both the novice and the experienced teacher, and structures are in place that further facilitate teacher interaction and reinforce interdependence. Schools with integrated professional cultures are organizations that explicitly value teachers’ professional growth and renewal. (p. 159) I would like to better understand the format for this professional development so that we might consider it for our schools. Things to consider would be when and how the professional development takes place (during the school day, after hours, by grade level, whole staff). It also be helpful to know how the focus is decided, the facilitation of meetings, etc. Finally, the authors themselves suggest that: in our study we did not identify and interview prospective teachers who chose not to teach. It seems likely, though, that many individuals may have been attracted by the prospect of intrinsic rewards but chose other work because of the higher pay. (p. 58) It would be interesting to investigate this assumption. Closing thoughts I had hoped to find information on the effects the No Child Left Behind Act has had on teachers due to the increased mandates on accountability. Perhaps because the study was begun in 1999 the topic was not as timely as it is today. Overall I found the book to be insightful and it helped me better understand what our new teachers go through in their first year(s). Though the chapters have six different co-authors (doctoral students under the guidance of Susan Moore Johnson) the book flows well. There is a narrative fluency as the study is brought to life by interspersing quotes from the case studies throughout. Most new teachers are attracted to the profession because they want to make a difference and have an impact in students’ lives. They are looking for schools that will provide them with a range of opportunities both within and outside the classroom. This includes meaningful professional development for all staff, where teachers are learners, working together as part of a learning community. It is important to note that there is nothing inherently beneficial about simply having a mix of novices and veterans within the same school. What is exceptional…is that teachers interact regularly about teaching across experience levels, both formally and informally.” (p. 158) While previous reports have shown that the focus should be on improving working conditions Johnson’s book suggests that efforts should be made to improve pay as well. This is especially intriguing since the book is peppered with quotes from teachers like “teaching is its own reward” and “teachers are intrinsically motivated”. What are the implications for me, the “mentor/facilitator” of a small urban district for the past three years? A district with nine k-8 schools, serving a high English Learner population with more than 80% on free and reduced lunch, and a teacher attrition rate of 40% in four years. Knowing that three weeks from today I will be orientating 60 plus new teachers, and only one comes with experience. How will I use the information from Finders and Keepers to improve our retention rate and ultimately student achievement? While the book did not offer explicit solutions to these problems it was thought provoking and provided leads into how we might continue to investigate. References Haycock, K. (1998). Good teaching matters: How well- qualified teachers can close the gap. Thinking K-16, 4(1), 3-12. Horn, P. J. (2002). Accountability Through ‘Best Practice’ Induction Models. Paper presented at the Annual American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, February 2002. Huberman, M. (1993). The lives of teachers. New York: Teachers College Press. McLaughlin, M.W., & Yee, S.M. –L. (1998). School as a place to have a career. In A. Lieberman (Ed.), Building a professional culture in schools (pp.23-44). New York: Teachers College Press. Yee, S.M. (1990). Careers in the classroom: When teaching is more than a job. New York: Teachers College Press. About the Reviewer Susannah Buckley is the mentor/facilitator for Creighton School District in Phoenix, Arizona. Her interests are in teacher retention, especially in urban areas serving second language populations, and teacher expectations. She received her doctorate from Arizona State University under the supervision of Eric Margolis and her Masters from Columbia Teachers College.