Currents

Should I Stay or Should I Go?

Volume 5 / Issue 4 / Summer 2005

According to an article in Edutopia, about 11 percent of teachers resign before their first summer vacation, 30 percent after three years, and 45 percent within five years. The reasons? Surprisingly, salary is not one of them. A survey of 8,400 public- and private-school teachers reveals that they leave their posts because of inadequate support from school administrators, a lack of mentoring opportunities with experienced teachers, and insufficient time to complete their work. Research shows that effective mentoring programs for new teachers reduce attrition, but few of them exist.

What about the 55 percent who go on to have a long career in teaching? They are the ones who have learned all the ins and outs of working with school administration and have honed their classroom and time management skills during their years of service. Veteran teachers continue to be distressed over the lack of resources and support, but they stick with the profession because they think they play an important role in society. They report that the pleasure they receive from connecting with students or helping them learn difficult material keeps them motivated.