54 Chelsea Kostyniak, EdD Conclusions Experts contend that retaining the most effective teachers will immediately decrease the teacher quality gap and increase underserved student achievement without larger political, social, or financial commitments (CarverThomas et al., 2017; Goldhaber et al., 2018). The current study identified several practices and beliefs increasing the success of a group of teachers. If Bright Spot teachers’ current positive deviant practices are successful in the same environment, less effective peers may immediately apply these local solutions to local challenges. Campuses need resources to drive strengths-based transformation and Bright Spot teachers fulfill that need without additional funds or outside programs. Participants’ enthusiasm to disrupt practice and improve the outcomes for underserved students indicates that activating Bright Spot teachers would be an effective method to increase the overall effectiveness of teachers on the campus. Research related to teacher attrition points to adverse relationships with campus administrators as motivation for teachers to leave their current campus (Ingersol et al., 2016; Qin, 2019; Santoro, 2018). The current study indicates that Bright Spot teachers may stay despite what they consider inconsistency or incompetence of the current campus administrators. Bright Spot teachers choose to work around administrator decisions and policies they believe inhibit the success of underserved students. Studies provide extensive support that campus administration is pivotal in positive school change and teacher retention (Carver-Thomas et al., 2017; Espinoza et al., 2018; Garcia & Weiss, 2019; Holmes et al., 2019). Participants’ complex relationships with administration did not prevent their success with students; improved trust and support increased their positive impact. Teacher bright spots serve as evidence that the most effective teachers remain impactful regardless of state or local requirements. Texas public schools will face uncertain conditions and bright spot teachers demonstrate that schools can effectively respond by finding local solutions to local challenges. References Allen, S. (2022, August 3). ‘Crisis that’s turned into catastrophe’: Fort Worth’s schools grapple with teacher shortage. Fort Worth Star Telegram. https://www.star- telegram.com/news/local/crossroads-lab/ article262240537.html Carver-Thomas, D., & Darling-Hammond, L. (2017). Teacher turnover: Why it matters and what we can do about it. Learning Policy Institute. https:// learningpolicyinstitute.org/product/teacher-turnover- report Dufour, R., & Marzano, R. J. (2011). Leaders of learning: How district, school, and classroom leaders can improve student achievement. Solution Tree Press. Ebook. Emdin, C. (2016). For white folks who teach in the hood… and the rest of y’all too: Reality pedagogy and urban education. Beacon Press. Ebook. Espinoza, D., Saunders, R., Kini, T., & Darling-Hammond, L. (2018). Taking the long view: State efforts to solve teacher shortages by strengthening the profession. Learning Policy Institute. https://learningpolicyinstitute.org/sites/ default/files/product-files/Long_View_REPORT.pdf Feng, L., & Sass, T. (2015). Teacher quality and teacher mobility (CALDER Working Paper). National Center for Analysis of Longitudinal Data in Education Research. https://caldercenter.org/sites/default/files/ CALDERWorkPaper_57.pdf. Garcia, E., & Weiss, E. (2019). The teacher shortage is real, large, and growing, and worse that we thought (Part 1 of “The Perfect Storm in the Labor Market Series”). Economic Policy Institute. https://www.epi.org/files/pdf/163651. pdf Goldhaber, D., Quince, V., & Theobold, R. (2017). Has it always been this way?: Tracing the evolution of teacher quality gaps in U.S. public schools. National Center for Analysis of Longitudinal Data in Education Research. American Educational Research Journal, 55(1). https://doi.org/10.3102%2F0002831217733445 Goldhaber, D., Theobald, R., & Fumia, D. (2018). Teacher quality gaps and student outcomes: Assessing the association between teacher assignments and student math test scores and high school course taking (Working Paper 185).
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