GREEN IS
BETTER
The Growing Popularity of Green Schools is
Opening New Markets
By Bob Stimolo | School Marketing Research Institute (SMRI)
W
ant to enhance your image
among educators? Going
green is a way to distinguish
you from the crowd. It’s popular with
all teachers and especially important to
some.
GREEN IS GROWING
Green teachers and schools are
growing in popularity. The American
University in Washington, D.C., is in its
fourth year offering a Green Teaching
Certificate and recognizing a Green
Teacher of the Year.
According to the Center for Green
Schools in Washington, D.C., green
schools increase teacher retention.
“Teachers in green schools report they
are more satisfied with their school envi6 essentials | FALL 2013
ronments than teachers in conventional
schools, helping to improve teacher
retention. They cite indoor air quality,
access to daylight and views and better
acoustics as reasons they prefer these
high-performing schools.”
The Center makes the point that
retaining teachers saves money. “A 2010
report by the National Commission on
Teaching and America’s Future (NCTAF)
estimated that the nation’s school districts spent at least $7.2 billion a year on
teacher turnover. Increasing teacher retention helps to lower a school district’s
personnel replacement, recruitment and
training costs. In the four years since
Great Seneca Creek Elementary School
in Germantown, Md., opened as the first
LEED-certified green school in the state,
only one teacher made a lateral transfer
to another school. (LEED certified is the
rating system of the Green Building Council’s Leader in Energy and Environmental
Design.) In a recent survey, every member
of the 100-person staff said they worked in
a safe and healthy environment and that
they would recommend the school to a
friend for employment.”
The Center also reports that green
schools enhance learning. “The quality of
educators and curriculum are the most
important factors in a student’s scholastic
performance, but the quality of school
facilities – where students learn – is often
overlooked. School buildings can enhance
a student’s ability to learn by keeping them
healthy, attentive and present. According
to the Department of Education, more
than 20 percent of public schools in the
U.S. report having unsatisfactory indoor