2023 Update: Oakridge lost about a dozen teachers and instructional staff and welcomed about a dozen new faces this year. Oakridge enrollment in October was slightly lower this year than the end of last so the staff changes are unrelated to growth in student population.
Oakridge teachers help students grow and improve math and reading skills every year (see APS Math Assessments and DIBELS charts). Our teachers are skilled and capable professionals.
A strong encouraging professional environment for Teachers and Staff is essential to maintain a positive and engaged school community. Retention of Teachers and Staff requires competitive pay, professional development, mentorship, and advancement opportunities. Some degree of staff turnover is part of a healthy professional environment as Teachers and Staff advance careers, celebrate retirements, and move locations when their professional and personal journeys take them elsewhere.
Oakridge has a high turnover rate. We see new Teachers every fall. We welcome new Teachers and Staff and hope they will continue with Oakridge! We miss those who left Oakridge, many of which have moved to other Arlington Elementary Schools.
Outside of reviewing old yearbooks, the metric indicating turnover in the Virginia Department of Education School Quality Profiles is the Teacher Quality Indicator for Inexperienced Teachers. Inexperienced Teachers have less than one year of classroom experience.
Oakridge has a glaringly consistent, high percentage of inexperienced teachers since 2017, double the APS average and more than triple than a nearby neighborhood school with a similar student demographic in recent academic years. We know some teachers work a year or less at Oakridge and then move on to other Arlington Public Schools. Some stay longer and leave for other Arlington Public Schools. Why are Teachers leaving Oakridge for other Arlington Schools? What needs to change at Oakridge to attract and maintain Teachers?
Post COVID, schools must build cultures that retain, mentor and encourage those who are new to the teaching profession. Teachers are in short supply and have many employment opportunities. Oakridge will not succeed in meeting the needs of our students without Teachers and Staff.
2022 APS Your Voice Matters Dashboard
Oakridge Your Voice Matters Results–Staff
