Assessing Teacher Turnover: Distribution of Inexperienced Teachers and Emergency-Certified Teachers in Maine Schools

Abstract

Teacher turnover is a growing problem nationwide and has been found to be concentrated in high poverty districts. This study examined the uneven distribution of inexperienced teachers and emergency certified teachers across Maine’s largest school districts. Maine follows the national trend of higher proportions of inexperienced teachers in school districts with higher concentrations of low-income students. Given the known relationship between teacher experience and teacher effectiveness, this pattern further exacerbates educational inequities.