Why They Can't Write: Killing the Five-Paragraph Essay and Other Necessities

by John Warner

A 2015 survey of thirty thousand teachers found their greatest source of stress was “having to carry out a stream of new initiatives—such as implementing curricula and testing related to the Common Core State Standards—without being given adequate training.”12 This combination of overwork, lack of agency, and what often feels like arbitrary assessment results in high rates of teacher burnout, which in turn leads to teacher turnover, teachers either switching schools or leaving the profession altogether. Sixteen percent of teachers per year are either quitting or switching schools, most commonly due to “dissatisfaction,” with over half citing it as an “important” reason for leaving. This dissatisfaction primarily stems from frustration over assessments and accountability.13 The negative effects of turnover are obvious. Schools absorb replacement costs as they must continually bring in new staff. Student achievement tends to be lower in schools with high turnover, and given that we know good work environments allow for better teaching and professional development, the opportunities for schools to work with a stable cadre of dedicated, mutually supportive professionals are choked off.