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The invisible revolving door: the issue of teacher attrition in English language development classrooms in Arizona

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Abstract

The most restrictive language policy context in the United States, Arizona’s monolingual and prescriptive approach to teaching English learners continues to capture national and international attention. Five school years removed from the initial implementation, this study aimed to understand the complexities of Arizona language policy in classrooms and communities across the state, using the perspectives and experiences of 26 individuals engaged in the policy work across local and state levels. This paper hones in on the pertinent issue of teacher attrition, which was recognized as the central challenge at the local level, but ignored at state education and government levels. Findings indicated that various sub-policies of the broader language policy intersected to result in teacher attrition, including teacher certification, teacher induction, teacher preparation, and teacher evaluation. Implications target Arizona stakeholders as they consider directions to improve education for English learners, particularly focused on how to raise qualifications and define teacher expertise to yield the placement and retention of quality teachers.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Bilingual/Bicultural Education, School of Education, Loyola University Chicago, 820 North Michigan Avenue, Lewis Towers, 11th Floor, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA

    Amy J. Heineke

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  1. Amy J. Heineke
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Correspondence to Amy J. Heineke.

Additional information

Data used in this study has been previously published in a text entitled Restrictive Language Policy in Practice: English Learners in Arizona and is included in this article with permission of the publisher, Multilingual Matters.

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Heineke, A.J. The invisible revolving door: the issue of teacher attrition in English language development classrooms in Arizona. Lang Policy 17, 77–98 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10993-016-9428-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10993-016-9428-9

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