Using data from the 2003 — 2004 Schools and Staffing Survey, this article
compares teacher working conditions in charter schools and traditional public schools through propensity score matching and weighted hierarchical linear modeling.
The value of this frame of reference was recently described by Ann Byrd, director of the South Carolina Center for Educator Recruitment, Retention, and Advancement: «Not only will we get a closer look at the
working conditions of
teachers and administrators in our own state, but we will also have the opportunity to
compare our situation with neighboring states who have conducted similar research» (Center for Teaching Quality, 2005, p. 2).
Forster has conducted empirical studies on the impact of school choice programs in Milwaukee, Ohio, Florida and Texas, as well as national empirical studies
comparing public and private schools in terms of
working conditions for
teachers, ethnic segregation and
teacher and staff misconduct.