A recent survey on Detroit Public Schools shows the majority of staff and teachers wouldn’t recommend the district as a place of work.
With over 14,ooo teachers surveyed, 50 percent say they wouldn’t recommend employment with DPS to a friend or family, and 63 percent of central staff say the same, Chalkbeat reports.
Of the 32,000 students surveyed, less than half claim they feel safe at school, and only 38 percent of Detroit’s high schoolers reported a positive sense of school belonging.
In the central office, most staff say the school’s operations are poor, with only 35 percent of employees providing a positive response. Only 36 percent view the school leadership and vision positively.
The survey was released as Superintendent Nikolai Vitti concluded his first year with the school. His starting salary was $295,000, The Detroit News reports.
“If our own employees are not favorable toward the organization, then how can we ever recruit new parents to schools or new employees to the district?” Vitti asked the school board last week. (RELATED: Detroit Teachers Reach Tentative Deal With District Amid Declining Enrollment)
Vitti used the term “detractors” for employees, students and families who didn’t respond positively.
According to DPS instructional leaders, academic expectations are incredibly low; 38 percent responded positively. Only 26 percent of the 15,000 families surveyed claim they feel engaged with the school district.
DPS currently suffers from 200 teacher vacancies, and more than 50 percent of the district’s students have opted for local charter schools.