Why Are Teachers Leaving the Profession?

There are more and more teachers leaving the profession than ever before. It got me thinking about why they are leaving in droves. When I first started college way back in the 80's, teaching was still a noble and respected profession. To be a teacher was an honor and privilege. Not so much now. 

According to USAToday, more teachers left the profession last year than at any point in the last three decades. Why? Well, the number one reason was stress and low pay. There is also the learning loss that was created by the pandemic. Some teachers have had to double up on learning just to make up for the time lost during Covid. That puts a lot of stress on a teacher. They are expected to have high state test scores even though the students have had a lapse in their learning.

Another big reason for teachers leaving the profession is student behaviors and administrations that do nothing. Education Week research states that student behavior problems have increased in the last 3 to 4 years. It's a lot to deal with as a teacher. I've been there and it is beyond frustrating. Some days were spent dealing with behavior issues instead of teaching. It's hard to learn math and reading when students are literally fighting or creating trouble. 

The last reason is pay. Let's face it, this has always been a problem. The National Center for Education Statistics list the US average rate of pay for teachers at $65,000. But that differs by state. The starting wage is about $44,000. Teachers are also required to keep up with courses, take college credit classes, attend workshops and in-services, and keep current with new teaching strategies. Many of these requirements are paid out of pocket by the teacher. And let's not even talk about the pay for a Catholic School teacher! It's beyond ridiculous. Most teachers that I worked with in my catholic schools were not even making $40,000 a year and they all had many years of experience.

It takes a special person to be a teacher, especially now. Do I think that something needs to be done about it? Of course, but how do we fix the education system and retain quality teachers? If you have any suggestions, let me know. Because we need to do something!