OKLAHOMA CITY – A legislative proposal that would require teacher exit interviews has drawn criticism from Lawton Public Schools Superintendent Kevin Himes.
The measure passed the Senate 29-16 on March 15 and now heads to the state House for its consideration.
However, Himes said Lawton schools already conduct interviews with teachers when they leave the district.
“When something like this is created by someone outside the district, it’s just another layer of red tape,” he said. “It’s going to be a state department (of education) document, and not everyone leaves on a positive note. We’re working to take things off the principal’s desk, not add more to it.”
If Senate Bill 1630 is approved, it’s important for the state-mandated exit interview include questions about specific grievances and why the teacher is leaving, Hime said.
On the flip side, former Elgin schoolteacher and state Rep. Toni Hasenbeck said she supports the bill and knows of at least 10 school districts that are already conducting exit interviews.
“The principal and school board don’t need to take it personally,” she said. “There’s nothing wrong with exit interviews. I think it would be good for the profession” while helping a school district address critical issues. If allegations are made by an outgoing teacher the district would need to ask, ‘Do we have to investigate or did that person just have an axe to grind?’” Hasenbeck said.
The possibility also exists that teachers might not be honest in an exit interview for fear of that information making its way to their next job opportunity as a teacher, Hasenbeck said.
The interview would include a standardized form created by the State Department of Education. SDE would use the data collected from the interviews to make informed decisions regarding professional development and the Office of Educational Quality and Accountability would use the information for teacher education programs.
Senate Education Committee Chairman Adam Pugh, R-Edmond, said he wrote the bill to try and find answers to the ongoing teacher shortage. Pugh said the exit interviews would be comparable to the interviews private sector companies conduct when an employee leaves their job.
“We’ve passed two historic pay increases, along with several reforms on licensing, professional development, school safety and other critical areas. This change would let teachers share why they want to move to another district, teach in a different state, or leave this honorable profession altogether,” Pugh said. “Exit interviews are something successful organizations do with employees to bring about positive changes, and we want the same for our teachers, both at the local and state level. If we get consistent feedback in a particular area, then we can help improve our schools and give teachers the support they need.”