Look To Research For Guidance On Retaining Teachers

RESEARCH

Look to research for guidance on retaining teachers

By Elizabeth Foster

Categories: Collaboration, Data, Learning communities, Mentoring & induction

Teacher retention has been a chronic challenge in U.S. schools for decades. Around 10% of teachers leave each year (Sutcher et al., 2016), and that number appears to be rising as the lasting effects of the COVID-19 pandemic take a toll on teacher morale and burnout. According to a recent national survey, the percentage of teachers thinking about leaving the profession is 44% (Merrimack College, 2022), a number that has risen almost 15 percentage points in 10 years. Strikingly, 20% of teachers surveyed said they are “very likely” to leave. Even if many teachers don’t follow through on these plans — which previous research suggests may be the case (Barnum, 2022) — the numbers are concerning. Teacher attrition is more than an inconvenience. It negatively

Read the remaining content with membership access. Join or log in below to continue.

Sed ut perspiciatis unde omnis iste natus error sit voluptatem accusantium doloremque laudantium, totam rem aperiam, eaque ipsa quae ab illo inventore veritatis et quasi architecto beatae vitae dicta sunt explicabo. Nemo enim ipsam voluptatem quia voluptas sit aspernatur aut odit aut fugit, sed quia consequuntur magni dolores eos qui ratione voluptatem sequi nesciunt. Neque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem ipsum quia dolor sit amet, consectetur, adipisci velit, sed quia non numquam eius modi tempora incidunt ut labore et dolore magnam aliquam quaerat voluptatem.

References

Barnes, G., Crowe, E., & Schaefer, B. (2007). The cost of teacher turnover in five school districts: A pilot study. National Commission on Teaching and America’s Future.

Barnum, M. (2022, March 9). Uptick but no exodus: Despite stress, most teachers stay put. Chalkbeat. www.chalkbeat.org/2022/3/9/22967759/teacher-turnover-retention-pandemic-data

Berry, B., Bastian, K.C., Darling-Hammond, L., & Kini, T. (2019). How teaching and learning conditions affect teacher retention and school performance in North Carolina. Learning Policy Institute.

Merrimack College. (2022). 1st annual Merrimack College teacher survey: 2022 results. EdWeek Research Center.

Shuls, J.V. & Flores, J.M. (2020). Improving teacher retention through support and development. Journal of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, 4(1).

Sutcher, L., Darling-Hammond, L., & Carver-Thomas, D. (2016). A coming crisis in teaching? Teacher supply, demand, and shortages in the U.S. Learning Policy Institute.

Elizabeth Foster

Senior Vice President, Research and Strategy | + posts

Elizabeth Foster is the senior vice president of research and strategy at Learning Forward. She leads the organization’s research efforts for partnerships, programs, and fundraising. Elizabeth co-wrote the Standards for Professional Learning (2022) with Tracy Crow and now facilitates learning sessions about the standards and develops resources that support their use and implementation.