School performance and quality of education are significantly influenced by a school leader's emotional intelligence and employee teacher turnover. Teacher turnover and productivity are influenced by the relationship between the employee and the employee's immediate manager (Zipkin, 2000). The specific problem is that a school leader's low emotional intelligence may influence teacher turnover rates, which in turn influences: (a) employee productivity, (b) organizational performance, and (c) organizational stability. The intent of this quantitative correlational research study was to discover the degree to which a school leader's emotional intelligence influences respective teacher turnover rates, in four locations in the New York City area, located in the northeastern United States. Emotional intelligence competencies are not innate, but are learned abilities that make leaders more effective (Goleman, Boyatzis, & McKee, 2002). Understanding the relationship between leader emotional intelligence and employee turnover contributes knowledge to the field of emotional intelligence and may potentially improve an organization's productivity and school excellence.