While the challenge to retain highly competent teachers affects all schools, the crisis is critical in urban districts, which historically suffer from a severe shortage of qualified teachers. This paper reports research on one effort to curb urban teacher attrition through a nontraditional approach to urban teacher education, induction, and ongoing professional development. It combines quantitative data about the five-year retention rates of teachers prepared specifically as "social justice" urban educators with qualitative data about the type of preparation and ongoing support the teachers experienced. Our analyses of these data allow us to propose elements of preparation and support that may be efficacious in remedying "the revolving door" of urban schools. This case study extends the broad literature on teacher retention while establishing groundwork for further investigations of urban teachers' learning and career paths. In conclusion, it helps reframe the professionalization of teaching debate to fit urban school realities.
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