Charleston Teacher Alliance2013-2014 Survey of School Climate

And Administrative Leadership

Survey Facts

This survey was developed and reviewed by CTA Leadership.The survey was conducted between March 30th and April 30th . 1,000+ teachers participated in this survey.This is the ninth survey conducted by the CTA addressing administrative leadership.

Survey Overview

This survey has four sections. The first section focuses on school climate and working conditions. The next three sections focus on the administrative leadership of principals, the district superintendent, and the area superintendents.

School Climate

72% of the teachers surveyed viewed their school as having a positive climate. This is a 10% increase compared to last year.

Planning time remains inconsistent throughout the district with 12% of teachers surveyed having less than one hour of planning time per week while 55% of teachers reported having three or more hours per week.

The amount of hours teachers are working continues to be a major concern. 57% of the teachers reported working over fifty hours per week. 28% of the teachers surveyed thought that the hours required were reasonable.

Principals

Almost all principal scores improved this year, and several principal scores improved by over 10% when compared to last year. The highest marks came in the areas of conducting productive meetings (73% positive), and classroom observations (80% positive). The lowest scores came in areas of teachers not having to worry about administrative retaliation (59% positive), and Faculty Senate effectiveness (27% positive).

76% of the teachers surveyed indicated that they have an effective principal. This was a 10% improvement from last year. Three administrators had at least a 90% approval rating. This included the principals from Hursey, Oakland and Wando. The principals from Academic Magnet, Belle Hall, Drayton, Harbor View, James Island Charter, Jennie Moore, Pinckney, and Stono all received 100% ratings for principal effectiveness.

Only two schools had positive principal effectiveness scores at 33% or below (Hunley Park and Springfield). This is a significant drop from last year when eleven schools scored below this level. Based on the survey results, a healthy majority of the surveyed teachers from these schools also indicated issues with administrators retaliating against staff. Retaliation was also a concern at

Angel Oak, Garrett, Haut Gap, and James Island ES where less than 33% of those surveyed felt they did not have to worry about retaliation for disagreeing, or reporting a concern.

Area Superintendents

Nearly 83% of those surveyed were aware of which Area Superintendent represented their school. This was an 8% improvement from last year. However, only 56% of those surveyed understand the role and duties of the position. This led many survey comments to question the need/usefulness of this position.

District Superintendent

Overall, the District Superintendent’s ratings were mixed. The Superintendent saw minor drops in teacher accessibility and seeking teacher input. Based on survey comments teachers expressed doubt in whether teacher feedback was genuinely sought or considered before making decisions such as the BRIDGE program. Minor increases were seen in teacher communication and budgeting. The Superintendent’s largest increase was in general effectiveness with an improvement of 6%.

District Superintendent(Percentage of respondents who reported positively)

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014-Visible and accessible to teacher 68% 64% 63% 66% 58% 55%-Effectively communicates with teachers 77% 72% 74% 79% 69% 73%-Seeks teacher input 48% 46% 58% 61% 45% 43%-Eliminated nonessential spending 45% 35% 41% 48% 35% 37%-An effective leader 73% 72% 70% 75% 66% 72%