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Regulatory arbitrage in teacher hiring and retention: Evidence from Massachusetts Charter Schools

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  • Bruhn, Jesse
  • Imberman, Scott
  • Winters, Marcus

Abstract

We study personnel flexibility in charter schools by exploring how teacher retention varies with teacher quality in Massachusetts. We propose a model in which educators with high fixed-costs use charter schools to explore teaching careers before obtaining licenses required for higher paying public sector jobs. A key implication of the theoretical model is that charter schools create positive externalities for traditional public schools by increasing the average quality of available teacher labor. Empirical results show patterns consistent with the model. In particular, we show that charters are more likely to lose their highest and lowest value-added teachers. Low performers tend to exit public education, while high performers tend to switch to traditional public schools.

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  • Bruhn, Jesse & Imberman, Scott & Winters, Marcus, 2022. "Regulatory arbitrage in teacher hiring and retention: Evidence from Massachusetts Charter Schools," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 215(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:pubeco:v:215:y:2022:i:c:s0047272722001529
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jpubeco.2022.104750
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    Cited by:

    1. Sorensen, Lucy C. & Holt, Stephen B., 2021. "Sorting it Out: The Effects of Charter Expansion on Teacher and Student Composition at Traditional Public Schools," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 82(C).
    2. Chen, Feng & Harris, Douglas N. & Penn, Mary, 2024. "The effects of charter school entry on the supply of teachers from university-based education programs," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 99(C).
    3. Jessalynn James & Matthew A. Kraft & John P. Papay, 2023. "Local supply, temporal dynamics, and unrealized potential in teacher hiring," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 42(4), pages 1010-1044, September.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Charter Schools; Teacher Quality; Value-Added; Teacher Mobility;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I20 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - General
    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education
    • I28 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Government Policy

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