Mayor London N. Breed, in partnership with the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD), today announced a $10 million stipend pilot program to support and retain educators who work at the City’s high-potential schools. These stipends will provide additional financial support to educators who work in SFUSD schools that serve underserved communities and experience significant teacher turnover. Nearly all of San Francisco’s high-potential schools are in the Bayview, Mission and southeastern neighborhoods.
Education research has consistently demonstrated that successful student achievement is determined by teaching quality. However, many urban schools serving low-income and students of color find it difficult to recruit and retain experienced educators. At high-potential schools, one-third of teachers are first or second year teachers, and educator turnover is 27%, compared to district-wide turnover of 21%. This pilot program seeks to improve student outcomes by addressing the recruitment and retention issue that currently exists at high-potential schools.
“Students in San Francisco deserve a high-quality education, regardless of where they live or go to school. These stipends are one way to help make sure that qualified educators can keep working in our City and that our students are well-served,” said Mayor Breed. “San Francisco is an expensive place to live and we hope that these stipends will help our educators afford the cost of living so that they can be part of the community in which they work.”
“We appreciate the Mayor and City partnering with SFUSD to support our mission of each and every student thriving in the 21st century,” said Superintendent Vincent Matthews. “Recruiting, retaining and supporting teachers in our high potential schools is a top priority.”
In 2008, San Francisco voters passed a bond measure, known as Quality Teacher and Education Act (QTEA), to fund increased teacher compensation along with professional development and accountability programs. Since then, SFUSD has offered a $2,000 annual stipend to teachers at high-potential schools through the QTEA Initiative.