Tell LAUSD: Increase Teacher Prep Time
Dear LAUSD Leaders,
In Voices from the Classroom 2023, the second highest reported reason for planning to leave the profession was that teachers take on too many responsibilities for which they are not compensated. And this was the most popular reason for wanting to leave, even more so than wanting a higher salary, among teachers who work in schools with high percentages of students from low-income homes, where turnover is particularly high. In the same survey, 87% of teachers reported that their role had too many responsibilities, making it difficult to be effective. Teacher sustainability and teacher retention have an impact on student success. Students in schools with higher turnover score lower on math and ELA assessments, even if a new teacher does not personally teach them.
In order to retain educators and make the teaching profession more sustainable, we are calling on the district to build in more time for teachers to practice their craft during paid working hours. At the elementary level, teachers only receive 27 minutes to prepare - half that of the national average!
LAUSD needs to increase compensated prep time for teachers. Increasing teacher prep time would give educators more paid work time to provide high-quality instruction, seek collaboration and mentorship, research supplemental material, and pursue professional development opportunities.
By creating this time in the workday, we can improve the profession's sustainability, our students' experience, and the quality of our instruction.