Why Do They Leave?

Exit interviews may come to EP schools. "There is no policy on exit interviews when our teachers leave," said Jessica Beauchaine. "We should officially find out why so many of our people are leaving. We should develop a policy," said Beauchaine as the committee agreed.

All of the district's top administrators have recently left or are leaving the system. The district also announced the resignation of a speech & language pathologist for the end of October.

Some teachers and others who have resigned to work in other school systems have cited concerns with East Providence teachers being at or near the lowest paid in Rhode Island. "Teachers have families and need to provide for them like anyone else," said Ward 4 school board member Jessica Beauchaine.

Exit interviews were once conducted by the school department years ago as a way to discuss severance procedures and also an opportunity to discuss reasons for an employee leaving.

The business and finance department has seen a particularly quick turnover in top staff through the recent years. More recently the district has seen a quick turnover in the curriculum and instruction area. The district is currently very thin with administrators with any institutional knowledge of the system.