What Keeps Good Teachers in the Classroom? Understanding and Reducing Teacher Turnover
Who leaves teaching, why they leave, and the costs associated with
their departures from the profession and from their schools are
explored in a new brief from the Alliance for Excellent Education.
What Keeps Good Teachers in the Classroom? Understanding and
Reducing Teacher Turnover, made possible with the generous support of
MetLife Foundation, contends that attracting and keeping high-quality
teachers significantly elevates student achievement, especially in
poorer, low-performing schools. However, an estimated 157,000 teachers
leave the profession every year. An additional 232,000 change schools.
The costs associated with both are high, both financially and in terms
of teacher quality, as experienced teachers are replaced with novices.
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The brief examines why teachers leave, as well as which teachers are
leaving. For example, those who are graduates of a highly selective
college or those with high college grade point averages are most likely
to leave teaching before retirement. Strong education credentials, such
as certification, more often lead to long-term retention. But are the
ones staying necessarily the “best” teachers? The brief also considers
ways to help teachers succeed, which leads to a higher likelihood they
will remain in the profession.