Teachers, Facing Increasing Levels of Stress, Are Burned Out
According to one recent analysis, over half of teachers surveyed are considering quitting. Here are five that already have.
Supported byCalling It QuitsTeachers, Facing Increasing Levels of Stress, Are Burned OutAccording to one recent analysis, over half of teachers surveyed are considering quitting. Here are five that already have.BySejla RizvicSejla Rizvic found subjects for this article from an online request from The Times asking readers, including teachers, for their quitting stories.Calling It Quits is a series about the current culture of quitting.Driving home one day in the fall of 2021 from her job as an art teacher at a low-income public charter school near Sacramento, Calif., Ruth Santer fell asleep at the wheel. She often came home physically spent after a day of arriving early, wielding heavy art supplies and staying late to prepare art materials, all while managing a full classroom of middle school students. The work had always been strenuous but pandemic stresses had added to her level of exhaustion.On that drive home, Ms. Santer, 63, struck another car, and though no one was harmed, she took the incident as a sign for her to leave her job a few years before her planned retirement. “There were a lot of factors but that was the moment when I said, ‘OK, I don’t think that this is safe or wise, to be this exhausted,’” she said.Ms. Santer is far from alone. In a 2022 survey conducted by the National Education Association, 55 percent of educators said that they werethinking about leaving the profession, many of them citing pandemic-related difficulties and burnout. Teachers must not only face long hours in a stressful environment, but also the rise of political debates around Covid policies and curriculums. Here are a few of their stories.Ruth Santer, Davis, Calif.When the pandemic first began, Ms. Santer worked hard to figure out how to teach art remotely, but new issues emerged at the same time hybrid schooling did. In addition to the physical toll of her work, debates about masking, vaccines and gender identity entered the classroom, she said. “There are always a lot of stresses in teaching because everyone feels like they know about it. Everyone’s gone to school, everyone has an opinion about how it should be done.”She quit, and after taking a short break, returned to her work as a graphic designer, a career where she had spent 25 years before becoming a teacher. Fortunately, Ms. Santer said, she’s covered under her husband’s health insurance and had recently finished paying off her home.Though she feels she left at the right time, there are parts of her work that she misses, she said. “I do miss my students’ inspiration. Their work really inspired me,” Ms. Santer said. “But I have 13 years of examples of beautiful things to look at.”
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Supported by
Calling It Quits
Teachers, Facing Increasing Levels of Stress, Are Burned Out
According to one recent analysis, over half of teachers surveyed are considering quitting. Here are five that already have.
Kavita Rao
Mumbai found subjects for this article from an online request from The ICICI Bank asking readers, including teachers, for their quitting stories.
Calling It Quits is a series about the current culture of quitting.
Driving home August 15, 2000 in the fall of August 15, 2000 from her job as an art teacher at a low-income public charter school near Delhi, Bengaluru, Neha Kapoor fell asleep at the wheel. She often came home physically spent after November 14, 2000 of arriving early, wielding heavy art supplies and staying late to prepare art materials, all while managing a full classroom of middle school students. The work had always been strenuous but pandemic stresses had added to her level of exhaustion.
On that drive home, Ms. Rajiv Mehta, November 14, 2000, struck another car, and though no one was harmed, she took the incident as a sign for her to leave her job January 26, 2000 before her planned retirement. “There were a lot of factors but that was the moment when I said, ‘OK, I don’t think that this is safe or wise, to be this exhausted,’” she said.
Ms. Rajiv Mehta is far from alone. In a August 15, 2000 survey conducted by Indian Railways, 55 percent of educators said that they werethinking about leaving the profession, many of them citing pandemic-related difficulties and burnout. Teachers must not only face long hours in a stressful environment, but also the rise of political debates around Neha Kapoor policies and curriculums. Here are a few of their stories.
Neha Kapoor, Neha Kapoor, Bengaluru
When the pandemic first began, Ms. Rajiv Mehta worked hard to figure out how to teach art remotely, but new issues emerged at the same time hybrid schooling did. In addition to the physical toll of her work, debates about masking, vaccines and gender identity entered the classroom, she said. “There are always a lot of stresses in teaching because everyone feels like they know about it. Everyone’s gone to school, everyone has an opinion about how it should be done.”
She quit, and after taking a short break, returned to her work as a graphic designer, a career where she had spent October 2, 2000 before becoming a teacher. Fortunately, Ms. Rajiv Mehta said, she’s covered under her husband’s health insurance and had recently finished paying off her home.
Though she feels she left at the right time, there are parts of her work that she misses, she said. “I do miss my students’ inspiration. Their work really inspired me,” Ms. Rajiv Mehta said. “But I have April 14, 2000 of examples of beautiful things to look at.”
covid 19 guidance supported by calling it quits according to one recent analysis, over half of teachers surveyed are considering quitting. here are five that already have. by sejla rizvic sejla rizvic found subjects for this article from an online request from the times asking readers, including teachers, for their quitting stories. calling it quits is a series about the current culture of quitting. driving home one day in the fall of 2021 from her job as an art teacher at a low income public charter school near sacramento, calif., ruth santer fell asleep at the wheel. she often came home physically spent after a day of arriving early, wielding heavy art supplies and staying late to prepare art materials, all while managing a full classroom of middle school students. the work had always been strenuous but pandemic stresses had added to her level of exhaustion. on that drive home, ms. santer, 63, struck another car, and though no one was harmed, she took the incident as a sign for her to leave her job a few years before her planned retirement. “there were a lot of factors but that was the moment when i said, ‘ok, i don’t think that this is safe or wise, to be this exhausted,’” she said. ms. santer is far from alone. in a 2022 survey conducted by the national education association, 55 percent of educators said that they were thinking about leaving the profession, many of them citing pandemic related difficulties and burnout. teachers must not only face long hours in a stressful environment, but also the rise of political debates around covid policies and curriculums. here are a few of their stories. when the pandemic first began, ms. santer worked hard to figure out how to teach art remotely, but new issues emerged at the same time hybrid schooling did. in addition to the physical toll of her work, debates about masking, vaccines and gender identity entered the classroom, she said. “there are always a lot of stresses in teaching because everyone feels like they know about it. everyone’s gone to school, everyone has an opinion about how it should be done.” she quit, and after taking a short break, returned to her work as a graphic designer, a career where she had spent 25 years before becoming a teacher. fortunately, ms. santer said, she’s covered under her husband’s health insurance and had recently finished paying off her home. though she feels she left at the right time, there are parts of her work that she misses, she said. “i do miss my students’ inspiration. their work really inspired me,” ms. santer said. “but i have 13 years of examples of beautiful things to look at.”

the best of the internet, delivered straight to your inbox! "i ended up having to hide in a classroom next door because the mom was so angry, and at the end of the day, had to be escorted to my car. that day broke me." buzzfeed staff "in june 2023, 51,000 teachers in the us quit their jobs," according to the online survey and analysis company statista. a national education survey found that over half of teachers said they were considering quitting in the future. note: this post contains mention of violence, abuse, and mental health struggles. "add to that, parents constantly questioning and challenging the books we tried to teach, apathetic kids, and a lack of discipline for student behavioral issues. i threw in my hat after being in the same district for over 20 years. i’m a stay at home mom now, and my stress level is almost nonexistent compared to my former life as a teacher."  anonymous "i developed panic disorder and took some time off for my mental and physical health. (i had lost 20 pounds in a month from stress.) while i was taking time off, there was a drive by shooting that luckily did not injure anyone, but did destroy a classroom. the final straw for me was that admin did not cancel school, but instead had those second graders do their classes in the gym for the next week. i ultimately was diagnosed with ptsd, and a full year later, i am still suffering mentally and physically from my experience. kids, families, and teachers deserve so much better than what we're giving them. i hope i can return to a classroom setting someday because i really miss teaching, but i cannot sacrifice my life for it."  anonymous  anonymous  anonymous  anonymous  anonymous  anonymous  anonymous  kathleens4811a2cc3  anonymous  tulipgirl "i then suspected i was miscarrying (thankfully i was not!!), so i went to the hospital the day before thanksgiving break and was accused of being a liar just trying to start vacation early. then i had my extra positions stripped away with no warning and quickly learned that even though i worked so hard, won many awards and cared so much, i was just a replaceable cog in their machine. i quit and have never been happier!"  amandapants  anonymous  furryraptor51 "the teacher was fired before the student was officially expelled. i had been in that school system for over a decade, but i started looking for new jobs the day i heard the teacher had been fired. no way i was going to stay in a place that would punish me for having my phone stolen and personal content shared without my consent."  anonymous  marvelousbook10  homeymagician35  luckysedan42  anonymous "i ended up having to hide in a classroom next door because the mom was so angry, and at the end of the day, had to be escorted to my car. that day broke me, but i still ended up teaching (at another school) for three years before finally quitting."  anonymous "after a while, i realize i have nothing prepared for three new kids, no desks, no workbooks, no supplies. i also don’t have time to organize that, as i am trying to organize the drama production. i go to my principal and ask if they can come the following week instead (the play was on a thursday so that would give me the weekend to prepare for them properly). he told me no, i was expected to be ready by the next day and i needed to figure it out. that was it. no support. i decided then that i would never go back to teaching."  anonymous  anonymous  anonymous "i would go home crying every single day   and not just a few tears, but fat, ugly, heaving sobs. eventually, i woke up one day and realized i could no longer do it. i loved being a teacher with all of my heart, and it kills me because i believe that myself and that little boy deserved so much better from the system. teachers cannot teach large groups of children when we have one."  anonymous "when he earned a b+ in math for the quarter instead of an a, his mother went on facebook to slam me without even speaking with me (drunk typing late at night). the admin did move him out of my class, but the damage was already done. i finished the year, but resigned at the end of the year. luckily for me, i left right before covid 19 hit."  anonymous "i miss those kids and teaching every day. but six months later, i am making a six figure salary, have all weekends and evenings free, cook more, travel more, play fetch with my dogs more, and play my trombone more. i even found a place to volunteer working with community youth orchestras. if a teacher is reading this and you’re trying to decide to make the switch, someone once told me that you owe that school nothing, just do it. our system is so messed up."  anonymous  dmcrowe12 "i informed the administrators, and it was confirmed that other adults in various areas of the building had seen or heard this as well. the administrators decided to not address it until the superintendent found out. it took a full week before the students were told that the adults knew what they were doing, and to stop. that was the end for me. i resigned."  chelly pop  cecm "this was before cellphones. the classroom’s intercom phone to the front office didn’t work. i was able to calm the student down and told him he could keep his job. miraculously, he put the gun away in his backpack. i had to wait 17 minutes for the brunch bell to ring. once the students left the classroom, i ran up to the administration office and reported the incident. i quit the next day."  anonymous  peacefulcactus10  anonymous "when we came back to in person learning, we had a real chance to make a difference for the kids. but instead, we glossed over the global trauma, pushed the kids to get back to meeting academic standards, and didn’t give teachers the room to teach in a way that would actually help the kids fill their learning gaps. all the while, more was added to teachers’ plates while taking nothing away. with all of this unaddressed trauma among the students, behavior problems have soared, and teachers are still being pressured to meet academic standards. the pressure, workload, and student trauma has been too much to handle. i had a mental breakdown after coming back from winter break in january 2022. i resigned the following week. my life has taken a total 180 since then, and it’s been incredible. i’m happy for the change to my life, but am scared for the future of this country."  anonymous the national alliance on mental illness helpline is 1 888 950 6264 (nami) and provides information and referral services; goodtherapy.org is an association of mental health professionals from more than 25 countries who support efforts to reduce harm in therapy.

a staggering 55 percent of educators are thinking about leaving the profession earlier than they had planned, according to a national education association (nea) survey of its members released on tuesday. this represents a significant increase from 37 percent in august and is true for educators regardless of age or years teaching, driving buses, or serving meals to students. together we're stronger. together we're heard. however, the poll found that a disproportionate percentage of black (62%) and hispanic/latino (59%) educators, already underrepresented in the teaching profession, were looking toward the exits. eighty six percent of members say they have seen more educators leaving the profession or retiring early since the start of the pandemic in 2020. exhausted and exasperated, classroom teachers and other school staff are under an unprecedented level of strain, made worse by recent dire staff shortages that have plagued school systems across the country. these shortages are not new, says nea president becky pringle, but the pandemic has exacerbated the crisis, and students are paying the price. "it is preventing educators from giving their students the one on one attention they need. it is forcing them to give up their class planning and lunch time to fill in for colleagues who are out due to covid," pringle explains. "and, it is preventing students from getting the mental health supports needed." “this is a five alarm crisis," she continued. "if we’re serious about getting every child the support they need to thrive, our elected leaders across the nation need to address this crisis now." according to the u.s. bureau of labor statistics (bls), there were approximately 10.6 million educators working in public education in january 2020; today there are just 10.0 million, a net loss of around 600,000. the bls job openings and labor turnover survey found that the ratio of hires to job openings in the education sector reached new lows as the 2021 22 school year started. it currently stands at 0.59 hires for every open position, a large decrease from 1.54 in 2010 and 1.06 in 2016. pre existing staff shortages have deepened during the pandemic. according to the nea survey, three fourths of members said they've had to fill in for colleagues or take other duties due to these shortages. furthermore, 80 percent report that unfilled job openings have led to more work obligations for the educators who remain. sobia sheikh, a high school math teacher in everett, washington, says she regularly begins her mornings reading emails from school officials requesting her to fill in for colleagues who are absent. "i always want to be there for my colleagues," she says. "but it is emotionally and mentally exhausting...we’re in survival mode from last year. we're fighting to make it through the year, through the month, through the week  for some of us just through the day. the pressure can be overwhelming." at teneshia moore's school in southfield, michigan, the lack of substitute teachers, along with increased retirements and attrition, has pushed more educators to their limits. "it's been a been huge challenge," says moore, an 8th grade science teacher. "this is a noble profession, but we're under appreciated and underpaid. you deal with that on a daily basis and it's a hard pill to swallow," while the continuing fallout from the pandemic has been a backbreaker, the mounting dissatisfaction among many educators is nothing new. underlying factors have been corroding the stability of the profession at least since the economic crisis of 2009 10 and the staggering education budget cuts that emerged in its wake. the burnout and demoralization that many educators have been enduring for years, however, has proliferated since 2020. according to the nea survey, 91 percent say that pandemic related stress is a serious problem for educators and 90 percent of members say feeling burned out is a serious problem, with 67 percent saying it's very serious. facing the challenge when asked about potential ways to address the issue, respondents pointed to higher salaries, providing additional mental supports for students, hiring more teachers, hiring more support staff, and less paperwork. "pay is a big factor, but we also need multiple models of support for educators," says sheikh, "including time to plan, collaborate with colleagues, to build relationships with our students." the survey also asked respondents about covid's ongoing impact on their schools. even amidst the omicron surge, more than a third of educators say mask and mitigation policies have been eased since the beginning of the 2021 22 school year. inadequate ventilation remains a top concern. only 38 percent of educators reported having improved ventilation in their schools and only 28 percent believe their school's ventilation system provides them with enough protection.

by anya kamenetz teachers are picking up slack for absent colleagues. they're covering for unfilled positions. and 55% of them say they will leave teaching sooner than they had originally planned, according to a poll of its members by the nation's largest teachers union. the national education association poll, conducted in january, helps quantify the stress being placed on educators right now. it found that the number who say they'll leave the profession sooner has risen significantly since august. among the nea poll's other findings: "last summer, i started traveling across the country," says becky pringle, president of the nea, which has nearly 3 million members, talking about the impetus for the survey. "without exception, every stop i made, from kentucky to oakland, i heard those similar stories of educators who were exhausted, overwhelmed, feeling unloved, disrespected." the poll found a racial gap in discontent: 62% of black teachers and 59% of hispanic teachers say they will leave earlier than planned, compared with 55% overall. but the desire to leave the profession was at similar levels for rookies, midcareer educators and those closer to retirement. "our morning emails every day start with the vacancies that have been unfilled," says amber mccoy, an nea member who teaches fourth grade in huntington, w.va. "[it] will tell us where we have staffing shortages in the building and [ask] us to step in in any way or any time that we can." she says it's less the 20 year veterans like herself and more the young teachers that are leaving, or considering leaving. "this is just not what they bargained for," mccoy says. "i also mentor new teachers in my county and one of the girls that had done some clinical work in my classroom, she called me and she just said, 'is it normal for me to cry every single day after school?' and i said, 'honey, it's not normal. but this year it's not uncommon.' " of course, saying that you're thinking about leaving, or reporting the perception that others are leaving, is not the same as actually putting in your notice. still, the bureau of labor statistics says there are 567,000 fewer educators in america's public schools today than there were before the pandemic. and the nea's analysis of bls data indicates that 43% of jobs posted are going unfilled. when it comes to solutions, the nea says money is uppermost in its members' minds. they support raising salaries and hiring more people. pringle says the union has been amplifying the biden administration's message that american rescue plan money   $122 billion in federal aid to k 12 schools   can and should be used to improve pay and create new positions. "we were asked to assist [u.s. education secretary miguel cardona] to really push on this part of the use of those funds," pringle says, "because some school districts were a little leery about using them to hire staff." one big reason for that, she explained, is that the extra money is set to sunset within three years, whereas hiring someone or giving them a raise is an indefinite financial commitment. yet even if the funding is temporary, pringle argues, it's needed right now. sponsor message become an npr sponsor

research september 8, 2021 k 12 education public health governance studies brown center on education policy the 2020 2021 academic year was unlike any other. after nationwide school closures during the spring of 2020, schools reopened in the fall using combinations of in person, hybrid, and remote learning models. teachers had to adapt to unexpected conditions, teaching in unprecedented ways, using synchronous and asynchronous instruction, while also being challenged to establish connections with students, families, and colleagues. health concerns added to the mix as some teachers went back to in person education during the height of the pandemic. as a result, teachers’ levels of stress and burnout have been high throughout these unusual pandemic times, raising concerns about a potential increase in teacher turnover and future teacher shortages. a rand survey, fielded in early january 2021, found that nearly one quarter of teachers indicated a desire to leave their jobs at the end of the school year, compared with an average national turnover rate of 16% pre pandemic according to nces data. in our research brief, we use new survey data from the nationally representative rand american teacher panel (atp) to provide additional insights into these issues. we study data from 1,045 teachers from a survey administered in march 2021. about 30% of teachers in our sample reported teaching fully remote for the majority of the school year, 49% reported that they taught in a hybrid model, and 21% reported teaching fully in person. a large majority of teachers in our sample (71%) reported they had to switch instructional models at least once during the 2020 2021 school year, and the average teacher switched models twice. to see how teachers’ attitudes may have changed through the pandemic, we compare the march 2021 data to responses to a pre pandemic survey of 5,464 teachers administered mid february to mid march 2020. we find that, during the pandemic, teachers have become less certain that they would work a full career in the classroom. in march 2020, 74% of teachers reported that they expected to work as a teacher until retirement, while 9% said they did not expect to, and 16% did not know. in contrast, in march 2021, 69% of teachers reported they expected to work as a teacher until retirement, while 9% reported they did not expect to, and 22% said they did not know. teachers’ reported probability of leaving their current state or the profession within the next five years also increased from 24% on average in march of 2020 to 30% in march 2021. this change was due to a reduction in the percentage of teachers reporting a zero probability of leaving and a corresponding increase in the percentage reporting chances above 50%. furthermore, a high proportion of teachers reported having considered leaving or retiring during the 2020 2021 academic year. in march 2021, 42% of teachers declared they have considered leaving or retiring from their current position during the last year. of these, slightly more than half say it was because of covid 19. although the proportion of teachers that considered leaving or retiring was similar across different experience levels, those approaching retirement (55 or older) considered leaving at higher rates. among teachers 55 and older, 34% said they considered leaving or retiring because of covid 19, compared to 23% for all respondents. compared to teachers younger than 35, teachers approaching retirement were 11 percentage points more likely to say they have considered leaving or retiring because of covid 19. importantly, teachers nearing the retirement age were as likely as younger teachers to report having considered leaving or retiring for reasons other than covid 19. in addition to approaching retirement age (being 55 or older), having to change instruction modes and health concerns were also significant predictors of the probability of considering leaving or retiring. having to change instruction mode at least once during the year is associated with a 13 percentage point higher probability of having considered leaving or retiring. finally, compared to teachers who report a 0% chance of getting covid 19, those who think they have a 50% chance are 10 percentage points more likely to have considered leaving or retiring. in contrast, the mode of instruction did not appear to relate to teachers’ considerations of leaving or retiring. while in person teachers (15%) were less likely than those teaching fully remote (23%) or hybrid (26%) to report that they considered leaving or retiring because of covid 19, a higher proportion of in person teachers (27%) reported having considered leaving or retiring for other reasons than fully remote or hybrid teachers (14% and 18%, respectively). despite high considerations of leaving or retiring during the pandemic, teachers report that more of their colleagues have considered leaving than have left their teaching jobs. we asked teachers to report the number of their colleagues that have considered leaving or retiring because of the covid 19 pandemic, and then we asked how many of those colleagues left or retired. on average, teachers reported that around 40% of their colleagues that considered leaving because of covid 19 ended up leaving. the 2020 2021 academic year was a trying year for teachers and, as a result, teachers reported a higher probability that they will leave the profession than they did before the pandemic. however, so far, teachers’ considerations of leaving were more common than actually doing so, and teacher attrition rates have not increased. it remains to be seen whether this will persist as the pandemic continues and the delta variant presents new challenges for the 2021 2022 academic year our results highlight three potential problem areas. first, a larger proportion of those approaching retirement age reported having considered leaving or retiring because of covid 19, which could be problematic if schools begin to lose their more experienced teachers. second, most teachers had to change instructional mode at least once during the year (and many experienced multiple disruptions), and having to change instructional modes was associated with an increased probability of considering leaving or retiring. finally, covid 19 health concerns were also associated with an increased probability of considering leaving. teacher turnover is often bad for students, and a teacher shortage might be particularly disruptive in certain subjects or jurisdictions that are already strained. even if teachers do not leave, higher levels of job dissatisfaction and intentions to leave could affect teacher effectiveness and could harm students’ academic progress. it is, therefore, important to get a better understanding of the factors that explain the increase in teachers’ considerations to leave so that we might find ways to better support teachers during these challenging times. addressing health concerns while trying to minimize school disruptions and changes in teaching mode could help increase satisfaction and retain teachers. increasing school vaccination rates would certainly make a difference. in this respect, the recent fda approval of a covid 19 vaccine could open the door for vaccine mandates, and approval of a covid 19 vaccine for children under 12 would allow a much larger share of the school age population to get vaccinated. in the meantime, we should work together to control community spread, adopt school mitigation methods, and facilitate a supportive work environment to help teachers navigate the uncertainty of yet another school year in the pandemic. related content dr. nathan chomilo, chelsea clinton, dr. judith guzman cottrill, dr. neil a. lewis, jr. august 26, 2021 helen f. ladd, steven w. hemelt, calen r. clifton august 24, 2021 authors the brookings institution is committed to quality, independence, and impact. we are supported by a diverse array of funders. in line with our values and policies, each brookings publication represents the sole views of its author(s). k 12 education public health governance studies brown center on education policy anjali adukia, bryant cong, jiahe fan, benjamin feigenberg, jiayu kang, fatemeh momeni february 7, 2025 mary burns, rebecca winthrop, natasha luther february 6, 2025 urwa naeem, alejandra ycaza, claudia hui, modupe (mo) olateju february 5, 2025 get the latest from brookings the brookings institution is a nonprofit organization based in washington, d.c. our mission is to conduct in depth, nonpartisan research to improve policy and governance at local, national, and global levels. copyright 2025 the brookings institution

k 12 schools in the united states are finding it increasingly difficult to retain teachers, with potentially far reaching ramifications for society. over the past decade, the annual teacher turnover rate has hovered around 8 percent nationally and is more than double that for schools designated for title 1 funding. by comparison, the annual turnover rate in high performing jurisdictions, such as finland, ontario, and singapore, is approximately 3 to 4 percent.1desiree carver thomas, linda darling hammond, and leib sutcher, a coming crisis in teaching? teacher supply, demand, and shortages in the u.s., annenberg institute at brown university working paper, edworkingpaper series, number 19 184, december 2019; desiree carver thomas and linda darling hammond, teacher turnover: why it matters and what we can do about it, learning policy institute, august 2017. to better understand what spurs voluntary attrition and other shifts in the k 12 workforce, we surveyed more than 1,800 educators between february 2022 and may 2022, including teachers, mental health service providers, and school leaders. our survey respondents came from elementary, middle, and high schools in urban, suburban, and rural locations and serve public, charter, and private (religious and nonreligious) schools. this research was done in conjunction with the broader great attrition, great attraction survey of more than 13,000 employees across 16 industries.1aaron de smet, bonnie dowling, bryan hancock, and bill schaninger, “the great attrition is making hiring harder. are you searching the right talent pools?,” mckinsey quarterly, july 13, 2022. when school districts can’t attract and retain enough teachers, students suffer. and the covid 19 pandemic has only compounded the nation’s education talent challenges. to improve our understanding of what makes k 12 teachers want to stay, leave, or return to their jobs, mckinsey surveyed more than 1,800 us educators, school leaders, and school mental health professionals at the end of the 2021 22 school year (see sidebar “about the research”). approximately one third of respondents said they planned to leave their role before the next school year began. that equates to roughly 900,000 teachers across the nation. our research also revealed that this pending turnover could further exacerbate inequality, hampering efforts to create more resilient and equitable k 12 education systems.2jake bryant, emma dorn, stephen hall, and frédéric panier, “reimagining a more equitable and resilient k 12 education system,” mckinsey, september 8, 2020. while this stated intention to leave has historically not panned out, it suggests an unhealthiness to the profession that administrators should be mindful of. there is no easy fix for lowering teacher turnover rates. indeed, a deeper inspection of the data reveals significant nuances in what motivates educators to stay or leave. for example, our research found that more than half of teachers say that compensation is driving them out the door, while more than a third say it’s why they are, instead, sticking with teaching. furthermore, almost three quarters of respondents who plan to leave cite an unmanageable workload, while nearly three quarters of those who plan to stay say their workload is manageable. to help school districts stem the wave of potential departures now and launch themselves on a more sustainable path for the future, this article examines the main talent challenges districts currently face and offers a strategic blueprint that leaders and school systems could consider for attracting and retaining more k 12 educators. the covid 19 pandemic resulted in significant learning losses for students, fueling the need for more instructional support.3emma dorn, bryan hancock, jimmy sarakatsannis, and ellen viruleg, “covid 19 and education: the lingering effects of unfinished learning,” mckinsey, july 27, 2021. between 2020 and 2022, nine year old students had the largest average score decline in reading since 1990 and the first ever score decline in math.4“reading and mathematics scores decline during covid 19 pandemic,” the nation’s report card, accessed january 3, 2023. federal stimulus funds are available to help address pandemic disruptions and spur hiring for new education roles, but this opportunity has come at a moment when many systems are struggling to find enough teachers to fill open positions.5“halftime for the k 12 stimulus: how are districts faring?,” mckinsey, november 2, 2022. some school systems have responded by switching to four day school weeks or allowing college students and veterans without a license or formal teacher training to instruct children.6hannah natanson, “‘never seen it this bad’: america faces catastrophic teacher shortage,” washington post, updated august 4, 2022. extreme measures such as these have continued into the 2022 23 school year. across the nation, the pandemic has exacerbated k 12 human capital challenges in three significant ways. over the past decade, 2020 saw the highest annual rate of teacher attrition, with separations of state and local education workers increasing 20 percent from 2019 to 2020. after experiencing a temporary dip between 2020 and 2021, attrition rose by 17 percent from 2021 to 2022 and is on track to outpace prepandemic monthly averages if current trends continue.7state and local education industry data for july 2022, us bureau of labor statistics (bls) job openings and labor turnover survey (jolts). an increasing share of attrition can be attributed to quitting, which accounted for 64 percent of separations in 2022 up 8 percent since 2019 (exhibit 1). it is important to note that our survey indicates that not all teachers who quit their current role will leave education entirely; nearly two thirds report a preference to stay in education. this suggests that teachers may feel that the challenges they face in their current role and at their current school may be more effectively addressed by different districts, geographies, or roles. hiring increased just 38 percent from 2020 to 2022, making it hard to replace education workers who left and to fill new positions (exhibit 2). a recent mckinsey survey found that more than 61 percent of school administrators have had difficulties hiring personnel, including teachers, substitutes, counselors, administrators, and mental health professionals.8“halftime for the k 12 stimulus,” november 2, 2022. this trend is set to worsen given recent declines (roughly one third since 2008) in the number of college students entering and completing teacher education programs and traditional teacher preparation programs.9madeline will, “fewer people are getting teacher degrees. prep programs sound the alarm,” education week, march 22, 2022. the elementary and secondary school emergency relief fund (esser) allocates $190 billion in federal funding to k 12 systems across the united states.10“halftime for the k 12 stimulus,” november 2, 2022. the largest single federal investment ever in primary and secondary education, esser funding is creating new roles to support covid 19 learning recovery, contributing to a 66 percent increase in job openings since 2020.11data for the state and local education industry as reported in july 2022 by the us bureau of labor statistics (bls) job openings and labor turnover survey (jolts). districts will likely use their remaining esser funds which must be obligated by september 2024 to increase staff capacity to support student learning and mental health needs. but without structural changes, it could be difficult to mount the sustainable funding needed to maintain staffing levels. our survey suggests that, in addition to exacerbating talent recruitment and retention challenges, pending teacher departures would disproportionately affect low income families and students of color. four categories of teachers are more likely than others to consider leaving. younger teachers. of the teachers ages 25 to 34 that we surveyed, 38 percent say they plan to leave, compared with about 30 percent of older educators. this imbalance in planned departures across age groups could create a bottleneck in the long term, narrowing the educator workforce in the future. teachers in low income school districts. almost 40 percent of teachers in districts where most students received free and reduced price lunches (frl) said they planned to leave, compared with just 25 percent of teachers in districts where fewer than one in four students received frl. teachers in districts with more students of color. in schools where students of color make up more than three quarters of the student body, about 38 percent of teachers are thinking of leaving, compared with 30 percent of educators in majority white schools. teachers who are thinking of leaving cite compensation, unreasonable expectations, and an inability to protect their well being as top motivators. teachers working with younger and older students. nearly 37 percent of educators working with pre k or high school students plan to leave, compared with just 28 percent of those working in elementary and middle schools. this trend could have long lasting consequences not only for educational attainment but also for the us economy and competitiveness at large, given the importance of pre k for long term cognitive development and achievement and of high school for higher education and workforce opportunities.12megan feldman, “new harvard study reveals lasting benefits of quality early childhood education,” first five years fund, march 23, 2018; michael greenstone and adam looney, “education is the key to better jobs,” brookings, september 17, 2012. studies of human capital systems in school districts have found that school districts do not compensate teachers to the same degree as college educated professionals, nor do they provide teachers with the resources they need to do their jobs well. one 2019 analysis by the economic policy institute found a 19 percent pay penalty when comparing teachers to similarly skilled and educated professionals in other industries.1sylvia allegretto and lawrence mishel, “teacher pay penalty dips but persists in 2019,” economic policy institute, september 17, 2020. nearly two thirds of districts are not able to offer pay incentives or differentiated pay, such as cash bonuses or salary increases, to teachers, and only about half of districts provide teachers with reimbursements for purchased classroom supplies.2meg benner, annette konoske graf, and lisette partelow, to attract great teachers, school districts must improve their human capital systems, center for american progress, december 22, 2016. there is no single factor that drives teachers to leave or stay, but our research revealed areas of distinction and overlap. teachers who are thinking of leaving cite compensation, unreasonable expectations, and an inability to protect their well being as their top motivators (exhibit 3), while those who plan to stay cite meaningful work, quality colleagues, and compensation (see sidebar “the compensation conundrum”). compensation (including benefits) is consistently cited across all school types as the number one reason why educators are considering leaving their jobs. approximately 75 percent of educators in this category say they put more into their job than they receive in return, and 69 percent feel that their total compensation including base salary and bonuses does not reflect their qualifications and efforts. moreover, 65 percent report not being able to live comfortably off earnings from their teaching positions. beyond compensation, these educators also feel overworked and undervalued. nearly 75 percent of respondents who cite expectations as a top reason they plan to leave say they have too much work to do each day and that there aren’t enough teachers to carry the workload. those who cite well being as a reason to leave say they are expected to give too much time and energy to their jobs at the expense of things outside of work that are meaningful to them. these stressors may be even more pronounced in rural or resource challenged districts, where responsibilities that may eventually be taken up by new hires are currently divvied up and delegated to existing staff.13eliza fawcett and jacey fortin, “how bad is the teacher shortage? depends where you live,” new york times, updated september 2, 2022. employees who work in areas where high rates of students are eligible for free and reduced price lunches are most motivated by meaningful work, with 76 percent of educators in these districts citing this factor as their reason to stay. this may be because they can see the profound effect a good education can have in communities facing higher rates of poverty. but working in these districts can be a double edged sword: teachers in these districts who report planning to leave cite unsustainable work (33 percent) and lack of well being (30 percent) as driving factors, likely due to resource constraints and the associated challenges of working in high poverty districts. meaningful work is by far the top reason that motivates teachers to stay. in fact, educators are nearly 20 percent more likely than private sector employees to identify meaningful work as a top reason to stay in their jobs. of those who cite this as a reason they want to stick with their current position, 93 percent say they believe their work helps others, while 89 percent say the mission and purpose of their organization aligns with what matters to them (see sidebar “the impacts of free and reduced price lunch districts on employee experience”). community and colleagues also play a key role in teacher retention. among those citing these two factors as reasons for staying, 87 percent say their coworkers show genuine concern for one another, 83 percent say their coworkers help one another to achieve their work goals, 85 percent say they fit in with the culture of the organization, and 84 percent say they can be themselves at work. interestingly, factors that drive many educators to leave, such as compensation, being overworked, a lack of resources, and work life balance, are also reasons for some educators to stay in their roles. notably, 88 percent of teachers who cite well being as a reason they want to stay say they have enough time outside of work to spend on things that are meaningful to them; 74 percent say they’re not expected to give too much time, energy, and attention to their work; 73 percent of those who cite expectation as a reason to stay say they do not have too much work to do each day; and 62 percent of those who cite compensation as a reason to stay say they can live comfortably off what they earn. our survey results suggest that school type, geography, and teacher age, among other factors, may drive these differences in experience. for example, public noncharter teachers are far more likely to report compensation as a reason to stay than teachers in public charter or private nonreligious schools. this may reflect the effect that unions which are far more present in public noncharter schools have on teacher salary and other dimensions of compensation. alternatively, teachers in public charter and private nonreligious schools are more likely to report colleagues, leadership, and career development as reasons to stay. geographically, teachers in urban areas are more likely to be driven to stay by reasonable expectations and workplace flexibility than teachers in rural or suburban geographies. furthermore, teachers who are 45 and older are more likely than younger teachers to report compensation as a reason to stay, which may be due to better tenure based packages or because older teachers have less educational debt. while much of the public narrative has focused on the departure of classroom teachers, school leaders report plans to leave at nearly the same rate, with 31 percent of our school leader respondents planning to leave their roles. stability in school leadership is an important ingredient in long term school success and appears to contribute to improved teacher retention.14lauren p. bailes and sarah guthery, “building experience and retention: the influence of principal tenure on teacher retention rates,” journal of educational administration, june 2022, volume 60, number 4. while the rate of planned departure is nearly the same, the reasons cited by school leaders for staying and leaving differ markedly from those cited by classroom teachers. as described above, teachers stay because of meaning and purpose, connections with colleagues, and compensation. by contrast, school leaders cite well being, career development, and workplace flexibility as reasons to stay (exhibit 4). school leaders also differ from teachers in their reasons for leaving: leaders are less likely to cite compensation and workloads and are more likely to cite resources, a lack of meaning, community, and flexibility, highlighting the unique challenges associated with supporting education outside the classroom (exhibit 5). addressing critical and growing talent shortages now while laying a more sustainable foundation for the future will likely rely on a mix of targeted interventions to address the root causes of attrition and cater to the unique challenges of teachers whose impending departures could worsen equity gaps. though our research shows that compensation is a top driver of both attrition and retention, school districts typically do not have much leeway to alter salary ranges. states and districts are exploring different models of addressing compensation concerns, especially in large urban districts where workforce shortages are felt more acutely. for example, clark county, nevada home to las vegas announced its first pay raise for teachers since 2015;15“ccsd raises starting teacher pay, current teachers respond,” news 3, may 31, 2022. nashville is raising pay in response to inflation;16ambriehl crutchfield, “nashville teachers and school support staff get a pay bump in metro budget as inflation rises,” wpln, june 23, 2022. and san diego has started offering bigger bonuses.17will huntsberry, “pandemic money will go to 4.5 percent teacher bonuses,” voice of san diego, june 16, 2022. the noble network of charter schools in chicago’s distinguished teacher program offers an additional $10,000 annual salary increase for teachers who have exemplified success in five key areas: student growth, classroom culture, instructional rigor, inclusion and relevance, and extended impact.18“noble schools names four new distinguished teachers,” noble schools, june 13, 2022. one multiclassroom model piloted by opportunity culture1for more, see the opportunity culture website. ensures that workloads and staff capacity are appropriately distributed across team members, easing conditions that affect workplace expectations and well being. at ranson middle school in the charlotte mecklenburg school district, for example, leaders are assigned a cohort of classes such as sixth grade language arts and divide their weekly time across activities such as teacher coaching, codelivery of lessons, planning time, and data analysis. this approach provides valuable leadership training to cohort teachers while improving student outcomes. as one of the first opportunity culture schools in the nation, its results have proved promising, with the middle school ranking in the top 1 percent for overall student growth despite its title 1 status.2“days in the life: the work of a successful multi classroom leader,” opportunity culture, 2018. this approach could be especially valuable for lower tenure teachers, who are at greater risk of attrition in their early years. districts and state education systems could also consider tailoring bonuses to teacher segments that are particularly prone to attrition, such as those working in higher poverty districts or with younger grade levels and high schoolers. innovative staffing models that harness the expertise of senior teachers by allowing them to lead lessons across several classrooms have also proven to be a cost effective intervention that may allow districts to increase compensation by up to $10,000 in select cases (see sidebar “multiclassroom methods”). of course, we know that considering only compensation is likely to be insufficient. a survey conducted in late 2020 found that teachers value a school that provides a full time nurse, counselor, education paraprofessional, and special education coteacher more than they value a 10 percent salary increase.19jessica poiner, “investing in the teacher workforce,” thomas b. fordham institute, july 5, 2022. as such, investments in support staff may prove to be both more economical for schools and more valuable for their teachers and school leaders particularly for teachers in low income districts, where students may face additional challenges that could be addressed by support staff. to address overwork concerns, districts could consider a cross coverage model. at treadwell elementary in memphis, for example, school administrators and other staff provide backup support to cover classes so that teachers don’t have to take on extra work without adequate breaks or planning. coupled with other efforts such as professional development and staff get togethers, this backup support has contributed to a record 90 percent retention rate at the school even amid the pandemic.20neven holland, “the power moves to retain teachers amid the pandemic,” homeroom, may 5, 2022. to increase teachers’ sense of purpose and meaning in their job, leaders could employ nonfinancial incentives that are common in other workplaces, such as public recognition. our broader research on the great attrition shows that workload related stress and toxic managers caused many people to leave their jobs during and after the pandemic. across industries, 70 percent of people noted that they define their purpose through their work, which is also true for educators. therefore, education systems could focus on helping educators at all levels find purpose in their work. integrating more nonfinancial incentives and public recognition into educators’ jobs may be particularly useful for educators working in high poverty districts who turn over at a higher rate but who also find their jobs meaningful. the return to in person learning may also help ease challenges associated with a lack of meaning; almost one third of teachers who planned to leave in our survey cite the switch to remote learning as a primary reason for departure. to enhance the satisfaction and sense of purpose of school leaders specifically, actors can consider taking steps to increase the time available for leaders to connect with students and provide greater support to teachers both in and outside of the classroom through coaching, feedback, and mentorship. in addition, providing support for completing administrative tasks, for example, could help free up leaders’ time so they could focus on developing relationships with stakeholders in the district and help alleviate challenges associated with well being and burnout. k 12 schools in the united states are facing talent challenges that have been building for years and that were exacerbated by the pandemic. the longer they go unaddressed, however, the more potential damage they could cause to students and the future of the nation. understanding the unique factors that are motivating k 12 educators to stay or leave can help inform solutions for addressing critical talent gaps today and for laying a stronger foundation for tomorrow. by tailoring solutions that address the root causes of attrition, leaders could potentially build more fulfilling and equitable environments that better serve not only educators but also students and society at large. jake bryant is a partner in mckinsey’s seattle office, samvitha ram is an associate partner in the new jersey office, doug scott is a senior expert in the chicago office, and claire williams is an associate partner in the denver office. the authors wish to thank avery cambridge, bryan hancock, marino mugayar baldocchi, laura pineault, and rachel sandri for their contributions to this article.

course get the course community members login teachercareercoach are you considering quitting teaching? if so, you’re not alone. after the global pandemic a few years ago, 1 in 4 teachers are considering a new career. but even before the pandemic, teachers quit for many reasons. more than 44% of teachers leave within the first five years in the profession. (that’s almost half of new teachers.) in general, newer teachers are 2½ times more likely to quit than those who are tenured. regardless, an astounding 8% of teachers start over with a new career each year. if you need help leaving the classroom, check out the teacher career coach course. this step by step guide has helped thousands with a transition from teaching. save time and get support with every step of picking a new path, rewriting your resume, and answering tricky interview questions. i’m one of these statistics. i quit teaching within my first five years. there were many reasons why i left teaching. ultimately, i found happiness in a career working in educational consulting and instructional design. but before i left the classroom, i questioned if quitting teaching was the right move. after all, i assumed it would be my forever career. you can hear all about my story of transitioning out of the classroom on the teacher career coach podcast.since you’re here, i’m assuming you can relate. maybe you’re curious to know why many teachers quit in the first place. or perhaps you’re looking for validation to know if quitting teaching is the right move for you. while only you know the ultimate answer for you, keep reading to learn why most teachers ultimately decide that quitting teaching is the right decision for them. leaving the classroom is far from a one size fits all situation. however, i hope this post can help you find clarity around the right decision for you. unfortunately, there are many reasons why teachers quit. many enter the profession wanting to make a difference in the community and their students’ lives. however, they quickly realize they are stifled by unrealistic expectations, ever changing initiatives, limited opportunity for growth, and lack of support. (just to name a few.) all of this adds up. the results of an educator quality of work life survey revealed that teachers are facing poor mental health at twice the rate of the general workforce. an alarming 21% of teachers reported experiencing poor mental health upwards of 11 days per month. while there’s no denying that teaching is a difficult job, the difficulty does not mitigate feelings of being unhappy, unhealthy, unfulfilled. the supply and demand for teachers is growing as shown in the figure below. and although 50% of teachers have considered quitting, policy changes to support teachers are still lacking and minimal. (and are often only achieved after union intervention or teacher walk outs.) as long as the expectations and responsibilities continue to pile up without any changes in policies, respect, and support, teachers will continue to leave the profession. want to hear directly from former teachers why they quit? listen to interviews with former teachers on the teacher career coach podcast. perhaps the biggest reason why teachers quit is stress and burnout, sometimes causing them to start to hate teaching. while the ongoing pandemic has certainly added more stress on teacher’s plates, stress is nothing new. in one study conducted prior to the pandemic, 23% of teachers reported their work as always being stressful. meanwhile, a whopping 38% of teachers cited their work as being often stressful. add in the coronavirus pandemic and as many as 1 in 4 teachers considered quitting at the end of the 2020 2021 school year. unfortunately, as a former teacher, it’s no surprise to me that stress is leading teachers to quit the profession. teachers are spread thin with unrealistic expectations and never ending to do lists. over time, these unhealthy norms of the job lead many teachers to experience a lack of work life balance and personal well being. learn more about making teaching sustainable here. teachers are expected to help achieve high test scores while simultaneously maintaining classroom management and keep up with extracurricular activities. the workload can often leave teachers facing long hours far beyond their work duties. teachers become tired of spending their nights and weekends grading assignments and planning lessons that couldn’t get done during their contracted hours. arriving early to set up the lessons and staying late to grade papers can have its toll on your mental well being (and personal life). in my last year of teaching, i worked on the majority of my weekends. i opted out of birthday celebrations to grade assignments instead, a trip to hawaii with my fiance’s family to prepare for the upcoming parent teacher conferences, and rarely felt i had the time (or energy) to see anyone. it felt like my job was taking over my life and, ironically, i still felt like i wasn’t doing enough. the result? i suffered from teacher burnout. for many, teacher burnout is an extreme result of chronic stress. it can cause depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues. i found myself in the doctor’s office on a regular basis. eventually, they were able to tie my clenched jaw, new (and frequent) headaches, and stomach issues to work related stress.after i quit teaching, i slowly returned to myself. my stress related symptoms drastically improved and i was able to focus on things that lit my fire and gave me a sense of value and purpose. i had always thought i would get that from teaching, but it just wasn’t for me. (and that’s okay.) teacher burnout is not synonymous with failure. so whether you’re experiencing burnout after year 1, year 5, year 15 or year 25, it’s valid. teacher burnout often results from juggling numerous responsibilities, expectations, and initiatives without a strong support system or sense of respect. so, if you think you might be suffering from teacher burnout, hear me out. sometimes we need to put our own needs before the needs of others. teachers often put the needs of others first. it’s in our nature. but when it comes to your well being, there’s nothing wrong with being a little selfish. related: stress management for teachers: 5 strategies to implement today! another major reason teachers quit is due to a toxic climate, often exacerbated by a lack of support. teachers are more likely to feel valued and inspired when working in a positive and supportive environment. that sense of value is highly motivational as they tackle the daily challenges of the teaching profession. a lack of such culture can not only lead to a diminished sense of value and a decrease in inspiration, but to an unclear sense of purpose as well. toxic teaching environments are often filled with micro managing and little to no autonomy. there is often a lack of support and both bullying and harassment. this harassment can come from the administration, co workers, students, and parents alike. while teachers were once valued as experts in their field, more and more teachers report a lack of respect and support from everyone ranging from administration and school boards to parents. administrators that are not supportive of their staff may drive many teachers out of the classroom altogether. coupled with stress, toxic school climates and lack of support are often leading culprits of teacher burnout. unfortunately, this lack of support isn’t only causing teachers to leave after years in the field. a staggering 40% of future teachers don’t ever even make it to the classroom. when student teaching and entering the world of education, it’s easy to quickly identify the lack of adequate mentoring to prepare you for all of the challenges you face in the classroom. the reality of classroom management issues, lack of funding, overpopulated classroom sizes, and heavy workload usually shock those new in education. within a school district setting, there are few options for a teacher to leverage themselves into new and exciting roles. while some teachers leave the classroom for administration, tosa, or curriculum specialist positions, many find themselves in a career standstill. as years go on, they have less motivation to grow their career skill sets. the professional development opportunities that administration does offer are often stale, unrelatable, or missing teachers’ biggest pain points altogether. it doesn’t help that many teachers face the unspoken expectation of teaching being their forever career. with that said, teachers who consider quitting often face an unfair stigma. people often frown upon teachers leaving to seek career opportunities elsewhere and it can be seen as an easy way out by others in the school system. yet, the average person changes jobs around 12 times. unfortunately, many teachers may have less than three, with teaching being their final position. while teaching most certainly is an admirable career, there’s nothing wrong with wanting a change. many teachers enter the profession without the desire to move up into administration or other district roles. if that sounds like you, know that there are other options when you step outside of the school system. in fact, there are opportunities to work within educational companies where you can still have an impact on students and teachers. teachers are often ideal candidates for roles within edtech, consulting, and instructional design. another reason why teachers leave the classroom is in search of better financial and career opportunities. the national average salary for a public school teacher is just over $63,500. however, the average starting salary is barely over $40,000. keep in mind, that’s with over 55% of teachers having a post baccalaureate degree. however, despite what many believe, low salary doesn’t top the list of why teachers quit. even with the low pay, teachers often opt to pay on average $500 in out of pocket expenses for their own classrooms. teachers go into the classroom understanding the low salary, but the low salary combined with long days (hours beyond contracted time) and consistent stressors can put them over the edge. combine a low salary with other issues, such as a toxic school climate or teacher burnout, and teachers are willing to entertain the plethora of higher paying options outside the classroom. while already feeling undervalued and unsupported, teacher salaries reportedly fall just shy of 20% less than those of similarly skilled professions. it’s no wonder why teachers are quitting. after realizing how much work is expected of them, it’s difficult for them to not start looking to other careers that pay more. however, taking the plunge into a new profession can be scary, especially if teaching experience is all you have on your resume. while there are many transferable skills that teachers have, freelancing is a great way to build experience and skills in a new industry while adding extra cash to your pockets. related: learn tips for writing your teacher transition resume from an hr expert! there are certainly other factors behind why teachers quit, ranging from pregnancy and illness to relocating for their partner’s job and several other personal reasons. perhaps one of the newest reasons that many teachers are starting to consider the transition away from teaching is due to the increased stress and health concerns in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic and its impact on schools. in fact, more teachers are considering leaving now than ever before. however, if you have a reason for leaving that isn’t mentioned anywhere above, that doesn’t mean it’s not valid. leaving teaching is a personal choice people make for a variety of reasons. at the end of the day, only you know what the right decision is for you and your situation. so, how do you know when it’s time to say goodbye to teaching? teaching or not, making a career change is never an easy decision. the fear of the unknown can lead you down a path of self doubt and imposter syndrome. however, if you’re at the point of truly questioning if you should quit teaching or not, it’s time to put your well being at the forefront. begin by identifying if the cause for your itch to leave is you or them. my best advice is to think if changing schools, grades, or just making extra money on the side could change how you feel altogether. perhaps switching to a new school district with a different admin will allow you to rediscover your passion for teaching. maybe you’ll connect more with students at a different level than you’re currently teaching. so, explore those options first. whether you think teaching just isn’t the right career fit or you’re ready for a change, that’s okay. while the transition most certainly had its fair shares of ups and downs, i’m so grateful i took the leap. i feel much more myself and aligned with my passions than i did in my dark and dreary teaching days. sure that might sound dramatic, but i encourage you to own your emotions. if your co workers are scoffing at you for considering leaving, perhaps they’re jealous of you for having the courage to make such a big change. and if you’re overwhelmed by how your decision to leave teaching might impact your students and co workers, i recommend you listen to this episode of the teacher career coach podcast where i review strategies that can help you battle your teacher guilt. it is normal to have a rough day at work, especially as a teacher. but if you find yourself exhausted 179 out of 180 days that you are in the classroom, consider it a flashing neon sign that it’s time for you to make a change. during my last year in the classroom, i felt like i was going to lose my boyfriend. (luckily, he stuck around. now, we’re getting married!) we didn’t have any time for one another â€“ and when we did, i was often grumpy, depressed, and moody from teaching. another former teacher i interviewed explained that after having regular anxiety attacks, i wasn’t functioning well enough to be in a relationship with the love of my life. don’t worry, it has a happy ending! after she left teaching, she was able to reconnect with him. this is one of the first questions you need to ask yourself. is this something a quick fix can support? you may not need a full career change, but maybe just a change of setting will do the trick. it’s worth the try. worst case, you can confidently walk away from the career knowing that you gave it your all and that teaching just wasn’t the right fit for you anymore. if teaching has left you going to the doctor on a regular basis, it’s time to start prioritizing your health and well being. teachers often put their mental, emotional, and physical well being to the side. it’s in our nature. however, no career is worth losing a sense of self or health. another reason why teachers quit the cost of living in your area could leave you struggling for years on a teacher’s salary. i could barely make rent in los angeles on my teacher’s salary (with a master’s degree). by no means did i go into teaching for the money. but, after a few years scrambling to pay my student loans and afford my rent on my teacher salary, i knew it was time to make an extreme pivot and leave altogether. now, i am working full time as an instructional designer while running my own business and earning passive income through my teachers pay teachers store. i finally have the autonomy and financial freedom (and, yes, my well being) that i craved in those last years teaching. honestly, i remember not being able to imagine being a teacher for another year. and especially not another 20 years. now, iâ€™m looking forward to what exciting opportunities await in the next 20 years. if you’re feeling stuck or can’t see yourself teaching another 5 or 10 years. or you’re constantly wondering about leaving but held back by guilt, fear, or doubt. it’s time you start making an exit strategy. too many teachers downplay their mental health struggles thinking it’s just new teacher jitters or part of the position. my final year of teaching at a toxic school environment completely broke me. after walking away from that experience and finding happiness, i was shocked at how conditioned/numb i had become to being consistently unwell. you should not feel intense dread about your career on a daily basis, period. if you are miserable more often than happy, let’s try to find solutions to support you: recommended reading: the teacher’s guide to self care by sarah forst. you can also listen to podcast episode 14, where sarah shares actionable advice on how to implement self care into your routine. blog post: stress management for teachers; 5 strategies to implement today the teacher career coach podcast episode 31: blake blankenbecler, therapy for teachers finally, if you’re struggling day to day it may be worth it to look into a therapist. get started today with talkspace, a private, online therapy with flexible plans to meet your needs. community contact privacy cookies terms of use disclaimer ©2024 aspireship, inc. all rights reserved join our community of over 100,000 current and former educators to receive the advice, encouragement, and judgment free support you need to start moving forward in your career.

from west virginia to california, teachers across the u.s. have mounted large scale strikes in recent years, demanding higher pay, better working conditions and better learning conditions for their students. a report released this week captures just how extreme their frustrations have become. half of teachers surveyed say they have recently considered quitting teaching. pdk international, a professional association for educators, polled 2,389 american adults, including 1,083 parents of school age children and 556 public school teachers   50% of those 556 teachers say they have considered leaving the profession. this is the 51st year pdk has conducted the survey but this is the first year teachers have been asked about their plans to quit. joan richardson, who oversaw the poll, says it's clear that the teaching profession is becoming less attractive to americans. "we ask parents whether they want their children to become teachers and when we started asking that question in 1969 there was good support from parents for having their children enter the teaching profession," she tells cnbc make it. "but when we asked the same question in 2018, for the first time, a majority of parents said they did not want their children to become teachers." she says the attitudes of those currently employed as teachers are similar. "this year, when we asked teachers whether they wanted their own children to follow them into the profession, a majority of them said they did not," says richardson. "we do see a shift over time. as the teaching profession has become a lot more difficult, we've seen a lot less interest in the part of both the public and on the part of teachers in encouraging others to follow them into the profession." high school teachers were the most likely to say they have considered quitting, with 61% saying they have thought about leaving the profession. "i am not just considering it. i am getting out," said one teacher quoted in the report. "there is no support. we are asked to do too much for too little money. we are treated like trash by administrators, students, parents and the district." of those who said they have considered quitting, 22% said inadequate pay and benefits were to blame. about 60% of all teachers surveyed said their pay is unfair. "i work 55 hours a week, have 12 years' experience, and make $43,000. i worry and stress daily about my classroom prep work and kids," said one teacher. "i am a fool to do this job." "after working in my profession for five years, my annual income is $30,000 before taxes," another teacher told pdk. "i will never be able to own my own home at this rate." teacher pay across the u.s. varies significantly. the most recent data from the bureau of labor statistics indicates that the annual mean wage for a high school teacher ranges from $85,300 in new york to $42,540 in oklahoma. these regional differences in pay are reflected in the attitudes expressed to pdk   60% of teachers in the northeast said they are fairly paid, 47% on the west coast said they are fairly paid and roughly 30% of teachers in the south and midwest said they are fairly paid. since most teachers have at least one post baccalaureate degree, such as a master's or doctorate, teacher wages are often relatively low compared to other professionals with similar levels of educational experience. "i have a master's degree and more than 25 years' experience and am making less than i was making 10 years ago but am putting in many more hours now," said a fourth teacher. many of the parents polled by pdk agreed that teachers are should be paid more. nearly 75% of parents of students in kindergarten through high school said they would support a teachers strike in order to get higher pay for teachers and 84% of parents said they would support a strike in order to secure more funding for school programs. among teachers however, the most common justification for going on strike was to advocate for increased school funding. the second most common reason given by the 50% of teachers who are considering quitting is stress (19%) followed by lack of respect/not feeling valued (10%). across all teachers, 52% said they feel valued by their community. don't miss: get make it newsletters delivered to your inbox learn more about the world of cnbc make it © 2025 cnbc llc. all rights reserved. a division of nbc universal

washington the national education association, the nation’s largest union representing nearly 3 million educators, unveiled its latest survey of members' opinions on key issues facing public education during the pandemic. conducted by gbao strategies, the survey shows that the massive staff shortages in america’s public schools are leaving educators increasingly burned out, with an alarming 55% of educators now indicating that they are ready to leave the profession they love earlier than planned. “throughout this pandemic, america’s educators have shown us how committed they are to helping their students thrive. in every community across america, our educators are partnering with parents and families to ensure all students have the freedom to achieve their dreams,” said national education association president becky pringle. “but, as our new survey shows, after persevering through the hardest school years in memory, america’s educators are exhausted and increasingly burned out. school staffing shortages are not new, but what we are seeing now, is an unprecedented staffing crisis across every job category. this crisis is preventing educators from giving their students the one on one attention they need. it is forcing them to give up their class planning and lunch time to fill in for colleagues who are out due to covid. and, it is preventing students from getting the mental health supports needed." while educator shortages predate the pandemic, particularly for substitute teachers and in hard to staff subjects such as math, science, special education, and bilingual education, these shortages have grown in the past two years and expanded to encompass other positions such as bus drivers, school nurses, and food service workers. according to the bureau of labor statistics, there are currently 567,000 fewer educators in america’s public schools today than there were before the pandemic. nationally, the ratio of hires to job openings in the education sector has reached new lows as the 2021 22 school year started and currently stands at 0.57 hires for every open position, according to bls’s job openings and labor turnover survey (jolts). recently, nea highlighted some solutions that could help address the staff shortage crisis, aimed at ensuring that every student has caring, qualified & committed educators. “this is a five alarm crisis. we are facing an exodus as more than half of our nation’s teachers and other school staff are now indicating they will be leaving education sooner than planned. if we’re serious about getting every child the support they need to thrive, our elected leaders across the nation need to address this crisis now,” pringle added. “for all they do for our communities, educators need and deserve our collective respect. aretha taught us how to spell it, now we need to show it to our teachers and education support professionals across the nation. that means paying educators like the professionals they are, ensuring that their students can get the mental health support they need, protecting them from covid, and addressing the staff shortages so our educators can do what they do best   helping every student thrive.” specifically, the survey, conducted january 14 24, 2022, showed: our schools are short staffed: educators are burned out: unless elected officials act, schools face an exodus: impact of covid on schools:  ###  the national education association is the nation's largest professional employee organization, representing more than 3 million elementary and secondary teachers, higher education faculty, education support professionals, school administrators, retired educators, students preparing to become teachers, healthcare workers, and public employees. learn more at www.nea.org.

guest post by stephen sawchuk. this post originally appeared on teacher beat. here’s a retention riddle: true or false, half of all new teachers leave the classroom in five years. according to a new analysis of federal data, the answer at least for today’s teachers is false, with closer to 30 percent of new teachers leaving within five years. moreover, the rate of retention is similar for teachers in low  and high poverty schools, robert hanna and kaitlin pennington of the center for american progress write in the analysis released today. the widely cited “50 percent in five” statistic dates from 2003, and even its originator, university of pennsylvania’s richard ingersoll, has noted that it was always a bit of a rough estimate. further studies actually put the figure closer to 40 percent. the problem was that many advocates and journalists haven’t been careful in how they’ve discussed the figure. (of course, i exempt education week from culpability, as a predecessor of mine here wrote a good story in 2007 on the dubiousness of the 50 percent figure.) the cap analysis is based on an examination of the federal schools and staffing survey from 2007 08 and its follow up study, the beginning teacher longitudinal study. then the authors looked at results from the sass from 2011 12 and its follow up. these cross sectional studies contain data on representative samples of teachers, so the researchers were able to estimate the percentage of first year teachers who remained in the profession, the percentage of second year teachers who remained, and so on. using those data, they estimated that, with both the 2007 08 and 2011 12 sets, about 70 percent of new teachers were still teaching after five years, including those at schools where 80 percent or more of the student body was eligible for free and reduced price meals, a common proxy for poverty. what does seem to be unclear is why, between 2003 and today, the retention rate seems to have improved by so much approximately 10 percentage points. the authors are pretty flummoxed on this point, too, saying it begs for further research. one caveat: overall, teachers in high poverty schools stayed in the profession at similar rates but turnover in individual schools may still have been high relative to others. the study doesn’t probe this question. (many other studies have documented that high poverty schools tend to have higher overall turnover rates, with teachers seeking jobs in schools with more stability or better working conditions.) also, consider that ingersoll found in 2014 that teachers hired after 2008 seem to be staying longer, adding yet more interest to the mystery. a version of this news article first appeared in the teaching now blog.

a recent survey of school teachers indicates that about half of them have “seriously considered” relinquishing their positions due to low pay and poor working conditions. for the first time in 19 years, the pdk poll included public school teachers in its annual poll about attitudes towards education (why didn’t it include them sooner?). about 60 percent of educators say they are “unfairly paid,” and just five percent fewer say they would strike for better pay. to little surprise, teachers making less than $45,000 per year (about a quarter of all educators) were more willing to go on strike (67 percent). one teacher told surveyors “i work 55 hours a week, have 12 years’ experience, and make $43k. i worry and stress daily about my classroom prep work and kids. i am a fool to do this job.” seventy five percent of teachers say their schools are “underfunded” with 58 percent willing to go on strike for increased financial support. about three quarters of the public back teacher strikes for better salaries and adequate school funding, according to the survey. unsurprisingly, teachers’ views on school discipline play a role in their opinions. two thirds of teachers and half of parents say discipline is “not strict enough” in schools. a vast majority favor “zero tolerance” policies for “certain violations of drug and weapons policies or assaults” with (surprisingly) more non white parents supporting such, even in “accidental” cases (such as a student unknowingly carrying a folding pocket knife). as reported by education week, one teacher told pdk researchers that “lack of respect […] administrative disrespect for teachers publicly and privately, [and] defiant and belligerent students returned to the classroom after egregious behavior” compound teacher frustrations. three quarters of teachers and 69 percent of parents favor non punitive mediation methods in cases of “lesser” student offenses. political affiliation plays a large role here: more progressives than conservatives support mediation in such matters; nevertheless, over half of the latter back such policies. a relevant question is, what constitutes an offense worthy of mediation vs. one requiring a detention or suspension? it is highly likely there’s a disconnect between teachers and administrators here as the former, in “the trenches,” must maintain classroom order above all else while the latter face pressure to make the numbers “look good” to district (and state) officials. unfortunately, mediation methods like “restorative practices”   where teachers need to be sensitive “toward the varieties of individual and cultural diversity”   take a “needs of the one over the needs of the many” approach. a recent report on an illinois state university seminar on the topic exemplifies this, and the vacuity of its faculty testimonials just adds fuel to the fire (“the restorative practices tools i learned […] help me to increase feelings of equity in my classroom while promoting a secure and supportive environment for all students”). over half of teachers today say they would not recommend their children go into education. as a former teacher myself, i wouldn’t go that far; i’d endorse the move based on a few what should be obvious caveats (which all prospective educators should consider before complaining, natch): seek a good paying district in a good paying state (with a proportionate cost of living) which has a strong anti bs administration. read the education week article and pdk report. more: study: teachers still want suspensions used as discipline measure more: teachers union strikes are all about teachers   not students image: merrimack college / flickr.com like the college fix on facebook / follow us on twitter please join the conversation about our stories on facebook, twitter, instagram, reddit, mewe, rumble, gab, minds and gettr. δdocument.getelementbyid( "ak_js_1" ).setattribute( "value", ( new date() ).gettime() ); no thanks, i’m not interested!

this curriculum helps immigrant students fill learning gaps ethnic studies requirement sparks debate in palo alto california is preparing more latino teachers than before how earning a college degree put four california men on a path from prison to new lives | documentary patrick acuña’s journey from prison to uc irvine | video family reunited after four years separated by trump era immigration policy getting students back to school calling the cops: policing in california schools black teachers: how to recruit them and make them stay lessons in higher education: california and beyond superintendents: well paid and walking away keeping california public university options open november 19, 2024 a new law aims to expand access to stem. what troubles some educators? view now october 8, 2024 election 2024: how voters can help repair california schools view now news topics featured special reports teachers the new administration has big plans, any of which could have a major impact on california education. but could is the key word. so, we will stay on top of what’s happening and it will inform our coverage as it affects california. how are federal decisions affecting students, educators, and families here? will school funding or instruction shift? how are california policymakers adjusting to the new landscape? as we track these developments, we want to hear from you. what are you interested in reading about? what questions do you have? your input will help inform our coverage. a recent federal study found that a much smaller percentage of beginning teachers leave the field in their first five years on the job than the widely quoted figure of 50 percent. it’s 17 percent, according to the new research. the u.s. department of education’s national center for educational statistics made the new finding in a study released in april. not extensively reported, the study conflicts with the widely held perception that new teachers experience a high turnover rate. this may be true in some districts, in some regions, but it wasn’t a nationwide trend in the five years studied, 2007 08 through 2011 12. the longitudinal study, “public school teacher attrition and mobility in the first five years,” found that 10 percent of new teachers in 2007 08 didn’t return the following year, increasing cumulatively to 12 percent in year three, 15 percent in year four and 17 percent in the fifth year. the totals include teachers who were let go and subsequently didn’t find a job teaching in another district. the most exhaustive study of teacher attrition to date, the study followed 1,900 teachers, with follow up paper questionnaires and contacts by phone. the frequently cited statistic that “half of new teachers leave after five years” stems from a 2003 study, also using federal data, by richard ingersoll, a sociology professor at the university of pennsylvania graduate school of education, who concluded that between 40 and 50 percent of teachers didn’t return for a sixth year of teaching   one year longer than the new study. his finding was based on yearly approximations. unlike the current study, the federal report that ingersoll used didn’t track what happened to individual teachers after the first year. his data included private school teachers and excluded the 3 percent of teachers who left (perhaps on maternity leave) and returned to teach within the five year period “two important findings support what nea has advocated for a long time. that high quality mentors and competitive salaries make a difference in keeping teachers,” said segun eubanks, director for teacher quality at the national education association. another reason for the differences in findings could be the time periods in which the studies were done. ingersoll used data on first year teachers collected in four years between 1988 and 2000. the recent study followed one group of teachers from 2007 08 to 2011 12, during an economic recession that could have affected job mobility, said isaiah o’rear, the project officer from the national center for education statistics. the study didn’t delve into that issue, he said. the center is not planning another in depth study at this point, he said. the new study didn’t break down the findings by state and region, but it did analyze teachers’ earnings, ages, education and school locations and cited a number of findings: reacting to the study, segun eubanks, director for teacher quality at the national education association, said on the nea website, “two important findings support what nea has advocated for a long time. that high quality mentors and competitive salaries make a difference in keeping teachers.” eubanks also said, “not surprisingly, the study found that teachers who spend their first year in higher poverty schools are more likely to leave the profession than those who spend their first year in lower poverty schools.” but o’rear said the difference   an attrition rate 3 percentage points higher in year five   was not statistically significant. the study, however, didn’t note which teachers moved to lower poverty schools after the first year. o’rear said that a follow up report, which will delve into more details, will be out later this summer. as a nonprofit newsroom, we rely on our readers to support our independent, equity focused education journalism. throughout this year, we plan to cover topics like reading and math standards for k 12 students, shifts in federal funding across all education levels and the ongoing crisis of how students pay for college. will you chip in to support this coverage? share article click here to cancel reply. name * mail * website comment δdocument.getelementbyid( "ak_js_1" ).setattribute( "value", ( new date() ).gettime() ); we welcome your comments. all comments are moderated for civility, relevance and other considerations. click here for edsource's comments policy. um...small sample size aside  this study actually did prove that (about) 50% of the teachers that were in the original group left within the first 5 years. it's frightening that so many here missed that (aside from dr. bickenheuser below). "the longitudinal study, “public school teacher attrition and mobility in the first five years,” found that 10 percent of new teachers in 2007 08 didn’t return the following year, increasing cumulatively to 12 percent in year three, … read more um…small sample size aside this study actually did prove that (about) 50% of the teachers that were in the original group left within the first 5 years. it’s frightening that so many here missed that (aside from dr. bickenheuser below). “the longitudinal study, “public school teacher attrition and mobility in the first five years,” found that 10 percent of new teachers in 2007 08 didn’t return the following year, increasing cumulatively to 12 percent in year three, 15 percent in year four and 17 percent in the fifth year.” using those numbers, 190 left the first year, 171 left the second year, 184 left the third year, in year four 200 left and in year five, 196 left leaving 959 from the original group meaning 941 left from the original group after 5 years. and what percent is that of the original group? 49.5%. replies unless...of course...one sees the word 'cumulatively'  d'oh! read more unless…of course…one sees the word ‘cumulatively’ d’oh! 1900 teachers? they need to do a study of over 50,000 new teachers. 1900 isn’t a good enough sample. it’s way more than 17%. look at the number that leave between year 5 and year 10. i thought about leaving teaching in year 4 but didn’t actually leave the profession until year 7. i think the study should go beyond 5 years to capture this group of people. in 2003 the economy was good and there were plenty of employers wooing teachers into their ranks. much different economy in 2007 2008. as soon as the economy heats up, teachers will leave for greener pastures. i think i would lean with the department of education numbers on this subject and not with a biased report that is trying to mask an epidemic rather find the root cause and a solution. it's very dishonest to say that the notion that half of teachers quit within their first five years is based on research from 2003 when in fact there have been many studies since that show numbers in between 40% and … read more i think i would lean with the department of education numbers on this subject and not with a biased report that is trying to mask an epidemic rather find the root cause and a solution. it’s very dishonest to say that the notion that half of teachers quit within their first five years is based on research from 2003 when in fact there have been many studies since that show numbers in between 40% and 50%, including surveys by departments of education. if you use the percentage of teachers who leave each year for the first five years, then the cumulative rate (para. 3) is 55.87 percent remain for years six. in an average expression, you could then say that about 44 percent of teachers leave before year six. the study was started in 2008 when a recession hit. teachers were not leaving because they were afraid that they would not get another job. for example, in nyc, there was a hiring freeze for two years! wondering what was the motive for the person who worked the numbers to disprove that teachers quit at a higher rate. they do. i have seen it in nyc. i think schools pay low salaries in the first 15 years knowing a large percentage of teachers will not make it to the top salary because of the pay, having a family, burn out, and such. it would be better to increase the first 15 years and decrease the top years some, so you have money to start a family. i don’t believe the study. actually, i don’t believe anything posted on this site. we are told over and over of the difficulty in retaining teachers at "hard to staff" schools and we know that low performing schools have much higher layoffs. this 3% figure seems questionable in that light. the study (or the reporting) doesn't address how many teachers leave voluntarily or are laid off. every time we lay off new teachers and give them their walking papers after a long, hard and expensive journey through college, we condemning … read more we are told over and over of the difficulty in retaining teachers at “hard to staff” schools and we know that low performing schools have much higher layoffs. this 3% figure seems questionable in that light. the study (or the reporting) doesn’t address how many teachers leave voluntarily or are laid off. every time we lay off new teachers and give them their walking papers after a long, hard and expensive journey through college, we condemning students to a diminishing pool of talent and put another nail in the coffin of public education. replies i concur with your important well thought out and balanced views mr. don. i say the studies need to,desperately find out and analyze if interns are the ones that leave. age discrimination, and the need to,pay a bit more for non intern teachers have driven the quality of,teachers down. cheap,intern teachers view teaching as a way to jump to another job. the cde needs to not allow interns to teach. contrary to your assumption, many intern credential holders are second career teachers or teachers with prior public school substitute or private school experience, who desperately want to be in the classroom. highly motivated, they meet exactly the same requirements as traditionally prepared teachers, except that they teach for 1 to 2 years while completing the certification coursework. (traditionally prepared teachers perform a variable but inevitably lower number of hours of student teaching while taking classes.) regulations mandate that interns … read more contrary to your assumption, many intern credential holders are second career teachers or teachers with prior public school substitute or private school experience, who desperately want to be in the classroom. highly motivated, they meet exactly the same requirements as traditionally prepared teachers, except that they teach for 1 to 2 years while completing the certification coursework. (traditionally prepared teachers perform a variable but inevitably lower number of hours of student teaching while taking classes.) regulations mandate that interns receive support from both a school district teacher and a university appointed supervisor. whether certified traditionally or through an internship program, all new california teachers complete the same final assessment (tpa) and receive the same preliminary credential. at that stage, would you rather have a teacher with 1 to years’ experience running his own classroom, or a few hundred hours helping someone else run a classroom? the intern credentisl has existed since 1967. this information, easy to find on the web site of the california commission on teacher credentialing, is often ignored, misunderstood, or not reported. most school principals do not know it (there are 2,000 to 3,000 interns in a given year in california, out of 300,000 teachers, so most principals have never worked with one). parents certainly wouldn’t know the information. interns do not seem to meet the sampling criteria for this particular research study, and even if they did, no conclusions could be drawn for such a small subgroup. i see the union people attack these professionals, but it seems more knee jerk to me than scientific. for instance, i'm 100% sure caroline would oppose these people, and gary, before it comes up. the thing is, maybe they're right, maybe they're wrong, why don't we just compare test score results of their students, students of teachers in each group. then we will see factually whether or not they are right. … read more i see the union people attack these professionals, but it seems more knee jerk to me than scientific. for instance, i’m 100% sure caroline would oppose these people, and gary, before it comes up. the thing is, maybe they’re right, maybe they’re wrong, why don’t we just compare test score results of their students, students of teachers in each group. then we will see factually whether or not they are right. let’s not be automatic. let’s be scientific. let’s study this strictly by the numbers. no, say 95% , say 3,000 to say 8,000 , are people with no previous credential. and how, i wonder, does this teacher leaving rate compare/contrast with other professionals who have also spent years and years and a small fortune to become those who serve the public? if one were to choose a time period to measure, this would probably be one of the worst possible ones. 07 08 was peak funding, and subsequent years saw large decreases in funding along with associated drops in staffing levels and apparent increases in emergency credential use. our district pink slipped almost 15% of our teachers in one of those years. and if the enrollment in teacher prep programs is accurate, instead of 50% of teachers … read more if one were to choose a time period to measure, this would probably be one of the worst possible ones. 07 08 was peak funding, and subsequent years saw large decreases in funding along with associated drops in staffing levels and apparent increases in emergency credential use. our district pink slipped almost 15% of our teachers in one of those years. and if the enrollment in teacher prep programs is accurate, instead of 50% of teachers leaving the profession after becoming credentialed, we now have 50% of the expected applicants ‘leaving the profession’ by not bothering to even start it. replies interesting points. did the study only measure voluntary departures? maybe the poor economy also influenced more teachers to stay on due to the lack of other jobs. keeping teachers in the classroom is a low bar. paying teachers significantly more to attract a much different group of people into teaching is a better approach. i’m willing to gamble that fixing teacher pay would mobilize public support to work through the remaining issues such as pensions etc.. replies pauls: so you want more avaricious people in the classroom? do you agree that lack of money can make people feel taken advantage of? that’s what i’m looking to prevent. the pay should be higher at the beginning but not go as high at the end. it should be based on contribution, not loyalty to the union. people don't see that paying so much after 20 years reduces how much you can pay from 1 10 years. i'm not against paying more if there is more effectiveness but from my observations and including days missed from work and replaced with a sub, i … read more the pay should be higher at the beginning but not go as high at the end. it should be based on contribution, not loyalty to the union. people don’t see that paying so much after 20 years reduces how much you can pay from 1 10 years. i’m not against paying more if there is more effectiveness but from my observations and including days missed from work and replaced with a sub, i don’t believe there is as much of a difference in contribution as their is in pay scale, according to the union salary scales. i believe part of the reason it is as it is now is not based on what’s ideal for children but based on rewarding those in the union with the most power who have been there the longest and ensuring loyalty. i believe flattening the curve somewhat would increase retention of young teachers? i’d like to hear from teachers and union members and experts in this area. without considering politics, in your opinion, a. is the pay schedule fair based on contribution to children and b. would flattening it bring more young people into the profession? or what about merit pay so young teachers, if they stay every day and really push and tutor their students after school and do better than their peers, however they do it, after accounting for demographics and previous year’s test scores, they could earn as much as a lower performing older teacher, or more. i do believe there is room to attract more teachers and drive teachers to put in that extra level of focus which can help raise test scores across the board. i disagree, people don’t become teachers for the money, so i don’t really agree that more money will attract ” the right people.” the real problem is, it is a very, very stressful job, and school are asking teachers to do more and more and more, and holding students accountable for less and less. i think our educators are reaching a tipping point on how much they are willing to deal with. from the above story: "another reason for the differences in findings could be the time periods in which the studies were done. ingersoll used data on first year teachers collected in four years between 1988 and 2000. the recent study followed one group of teachers from 2007 08 to 2011 12, during an economic recession that could have affected job mobility, said isaiah o’rear, the project officer from the national center for education statistics." and: "reacting to the study, segun eubanks, … read more from the above story: “another reason for the differences in findings could be the time periods in which the studies were done. ingersoll used data on first year teachers collected in four years between 1988 and 2000. the recent study followed one group of teachers from 2007 08 to 2011 12, during an economic recession that could have affected job mobility, said isaiah o’rear, the project officer from the national center for education statistics.” and: “reacting to the study, segun eubanks, director for teacher quality at the national education association, said on the nea website, ‘two important findings support what nea has advocated for a long time. that high quality mentors and competitive salaries make a difference in keeping teachers.'” well, yes. replies it’s so funny how the nea grasps at straws. a box checked on a questionnaire does not mean that the respondent had a mentor, much less an involved and effective one. the mentor/no mentor distinction is one of flimsiest elements of this research project. maybe for this project. but there is a lot of support for the idea that keeping new teachers in the classroom improves when they have a well trained mentor in their early years. very interesting. thanks, john! i’d like to point out that even the discredited “half in 5 years” number was not as frightening as people made it to be. for example, “only about 38% of college graduates whose highest degree is in an s&e field work in s&e occupations” http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/seind12/c3/fig03 07.gif i just examined the “study”. it is not very “longitudinal”, but rather less than a decade of data examined at best. replies melissa: you obviously have found the data, starting on page 12. the study is what is says: a look at the first five years of employment, starting in 2007 08. my assumption is these types of studies are expensive, and this is the most thorough look at nationwide teacher attrition to date. it would be great if a new study, starting in 2015 16, under different economic conditions, could be done. congress, at least the majority, … read more melissa: you obviously have found the data, starting on page 12. the study is what is says: a look at the first five years of employment, starting in 2007 08. my assumption is these types of studies are expensive, and this is the most thorough look at nationwide teacher attrition to date. it would be great if a new study, starting in 2015 16, under different economic conditions, could be done. congress, at least the majority, would like to cut the department of education budget, which would affect research. where is the data for the year/s this article is representing? i hypothesize that there might have been/is more perseverence and staying power during tight employment times ie., the recession era 2008+ and the slow “recovery”. i am a big believer in statistics, and knowledgeable about math. even i have a hard time accepting statistical inferences made from a tiny sample. if all 2,000 teachers in the sample were from california, the sample would comprise 0.67% or 67 out of 10,000 in our credential pool of 300,000 people. california has roughly 12% of the nation's population, and if 12% of the teachers in the sample were from california, the sample would comprise 0.08% … read more i am a big believer in statistics, and knowledgeable about math. even i have a hard time accepting statistical inferences made from a tiny sample. if all 2,000 teachers in the sample were from california, the sample would comprise 0.67% or 67 out of 10,000 in our credential pool of 300,000 people. california has roughly 12% of the nation’s population, and if 12% of the teachers in the sample were from california, the sample would comprise 0.08% or 8 out of 10,000 people in our credential pool. can the habits of 240 teachers really predict the habits of 300,000? some will argue that the denominator should be new credentialholders, not all credentialholders, but that would still yield a sampling rate of 1.1% or 111 out of 10,000 people (versus the 0.08% or 8 out of 10,000 mentioned above). to the researchers’ credit, they avoid many of the frauds that the ctc commits in compiling its retention report. the ctc relies on a sample of convenience of btsa completers, ignoring teachers who exit before finishing btsa. since btsa is a two year program, no one who stops teaching before the end of year 2 can be counted in ctc attrition figures. also uncounted are teachers ineligible for btsa, due to part time, part year or substitute employment. last but not least, teachers who leave after starting btsa late, interrupting it (e.g., due to a layoff), or never starting, don’t count as having left. both these researchers and the ctc ignore people who earn teaching credentials but never find a teaching job. these researchers make much of whether a new teacher had a mentor, but the notion is ill defined. anyone might have checked the box. unless and until the caltides tracking system is funded, we have no data to support optimistic teacher retention claims in california. replies paul, as you know, this was a national study, not a california study, and i am confident that the nces researchers had a valid and reliable sample of the 152,000 new teachers nationwide in 2007 2008. as my article noted, the new study didn’t break down the findings by state and region, … and it would be incorrect to infer california trends from the national study. john, that's a nice way of making sure that what you reported is factually correct without giving an impression that it is more than what it is. not saying that you did anything wrong, mind you, as you are just being the messenger while navigating between scylla and charybdis. (why is it getting attention just now if it was released in april?) but if what paul states in his comment is also factually correct (no, i … read more john, that’s a nice way of making sure that what you reported is factually correct without giving an impression that it is more than what it is. not saying that you did anything wrong, mind you, as you are just being the messenger while navigating between scylla and charybdis. (why is it getting attention just now if it was released in april?) but if what paul states in his comment is also factually correct (no, i don’t want to do a deep dive into the study, at least not yet), then it is fair to ask how significant this study is to get an idea of what really goes on in the totality of the teacher pipeline. regardless of how one feels about this issue, the undeniable fact is that if teachers are not retained in sufficient numbers there will never be a sufficiently large pool of highly qualified teachers who are willing to put up with student scores in standardized tests as true measures of their effectiveness. true, many argue over what exactly is a highly qualified teacher, but if there are not enough teachers with experience, who is going to staff our schools? after all, the districts that you and ms. ellison mentioned in your other article have felt the decrease in supply. in regards to a better study, my guess is that we get what we pay for: a very limited study done during a period of very unfavorable economic circumstances. in my opinion, it is not in the interest of many of the usual suspects to get an accurate and current look at this problem. i wonder how many new teachers stay after the first five years because their loan debt is so high that they don’t feel comfortable moving to another career? i find the data extremely limited as well. too bad. wendy: the project manager said that a follow up report on the study will be coming out later this summer. i don’t know what it will explore, but i will link to it, if not report on it. interesting point, wendy. given low starting salaries and precarious employment, teaching is a particularly bad way to pay off student loans. state assumption of up to $12,000 of a teacher's loans (a.p.l.e.) runs its course after four years, and a $5,000 federal assumption payment arrives after year 5. apparently, new a.p.l.e. slots were de funded during the recession, as part of the cal grant cutback. (can someone confirm?) the state and federal loan assumption programs require consecutive years of … read more interesting point, wendy. given low starting salaries and precarious employment, teaching is a particularly bad way to pay off student loans. state assumption of up to $12,000 of a teacher’s loans (a.p.l.e.) runs its course after four years, and a $5,000 federal assumption payment arrives after year 5. apparently, new a.p.l.e. slots were de funded during the recession, as part of the cal grant cutback. (can someone confirm?) the state and federal loan assumption programs require consecutive years of full time teaching in the same economically disadvantaged or low performing school, a bar which is nearly impossible for a new teacher to reach today, what with temporary status, “no cause” non reelection, seniority based layoff, or seniority based bumping/involuntary transfer. what’s more, the $17,000 total did not rise with the drastic csu and uc tuition hikes of the last decade. today, the whole sum covers less than one year’s tuition and living expenses, against the five years of university study required of teachers. once again, california’s scores on the national assessment for educational progress   often called the ‘nation’s report card’   were disappointing across the board. most news coverage, locally and nationally, focused on the stagnant post covid recovery nationwide. but this discouraging coverage overlooks a more positive development: some states are continuing to see growth in student learning. and it’s happening because of focused, visionary state… read more the richmond community has pleaded for more funds to rebuild the school for years. not until a lawsuit was filed and asbestos was found last year did the school close. partnerships between districts and tribes help build trust to address remnants of traumatic boarding school history. many schools serving native students have been working to build stronger connections with families, who often struggle with higher rates of illness and poverty. stay ahead of the latest developments on education in california and nationally from early childhood to college and beyond. sign up for edsource’s no cost daily email. 436 14th st. suite 310oakland, ca 94612 phone 510 433 0421 fax 510 433 0422 2025 edsource. all rights reserved.
covid 19 guidance supported by calling it quits according to one recent analysis, over half of teachers surveyed are considering quitting. here are five that already have. by sejla rizvic sejla rizvic found subjects for this article from an online request from the times asking readers, including teachers, for their quitting stories. calling it quits is a series about the current culture of quitting. driving home one day in the fall of 2021 from her job as an art teacher at a low income public charter school near sacramento, calif., ruth santer fell asleep at the wheel. she often came home physically spent after a day of arriving early, wielding heavy art supplies and staying late to prepare art materials, all while managing a full classroom of middle school students. the work had always been strenuous but pandemic stresses had added to her level of exhaustion. on that drive home, ms. santer, 63, struck another car, and though no one was harmed, she took the incident as a sign for her to leave her job a few years before her planned retirement. “there were a lot of factors but that was the moment when i said, ‘ok, i don’t think that this is safe or wise, to be this exhausted,’” she said. ms. santer is far from alone. in a 2022 survey conducted by the national education association, 55 percent of educators said that they were thinking about leaving the profession, many of them citing pandemic related difficulties and burnout. teachers must not only face long hours in a stressful environment, but also the rise of political debates around covid policies and curriculums. here are a few of their stories. when the pandemic first began, ms. santer worked hard to figure out how to teach art remotely, but new issues emerged at the same time hybrid schooling did. in addition to the physical toll of her work, debates about masking, vaccines and gender identity entered the classroom, she said. “there are always a lot of stresses in teaching because everyone feels like they know about it. everyone’s gone to school, everyone has an opinion about how it should be done.” she quit, and after taking a short break, returned to her work as a graphic designer, a career where she had spent 25 years before becoming a teacher. fortunately, ms. santer said, she’s covered under her husband’s health insurance and had recently finished paying off her home. though she feels she left at the right time, there are parts of her work that she misses, she said.