WHY IT MATTERS | Teach On Project

THE CHALLENGE

Locally, in the state of Georgia, and nationally, educators are leaving the field at unprecedented rates. A report conducted by the Georgia Professional Standards Commission suggests that 47% of public school teachers in the state (GA) leave within the first five years of employment.

However, it is not enough to keep teachers, we must retain EXCELLENT EDUCATORS — those that have the highest academic and personal influence on students in Metro Atlanta. A study conducted by The New Teacher Project entitled, The Irreplaceables, suggests that half of the educators leaving the classroom are among the most effective (by standards of academic achievement, engaging learning experiences, and influence on students’ personal lives).

National statistics suggest that roughly half a million teachers in the United States move or leave the profession each year.

Something must be done to keep educators in the classroom.

In any given five-year period, nearly half of the state's (GA) professional public educators dropout of the classroom.

Georgia Department of Education. Georgia's Teacher Dropout Crisis: A Look at Why Nearly Half of Georgia Public School Teachers are Leaving the Profession. Stephen J. Owens. 2015

WHY DO TEACHERS LEAVE?

Research states that teachers leave the field of education because of three main factors:

Lack of teacher participation in decisions

Lack of benefits / compensation

Lack of quality support, resources, and professional learning

THE IMPACT ON OUR KIDS

There is a direct negative correlation between educator attrition and student achievement. Educator attrition negatively impacts student achievement immediately and over time, according to a longitudinal study conducted by the National Center for Analysis of Longitudinal Data in Education Research.

However, the inverse is also true. There is a direct positive correlation between excellent educator retention and student achievement. Research shows that students with an outstanding teacher for just one year will remain ahead of his/her peers for the next few years. Retaining excellent educators in Metro Atlanta’s classrooms is a top priority.

Related Research

Georgia's Teacher Dropout Crisis:

A Look at Why Nearly Half of Georgia Public School Teachers are Leaving the Profession

On the Path to Equity:

Improving the Effectiveness of Beginning Teachers

A Coming Crisis in Teaching? Teacher Supply, Demand, and Shortages in the U.S.

All Together Now:
4 Keys to Better Teacher Engagement

Steps that K12 school leaders can take to ensure their teachers are actively engaged and have high morale

American has a teacher shortage, and a new study says it's getting worse

Teachers Matter:

Understanding Teachers' Impact on Student Achievement

Public School Teacher Attrition and Mobility in the First Five Years:

Results From the First Through Fifth Waves of the 2007–08 Beginning Teacher Longitudinal Study

Climate Change: Improving School Climate by Supporting Great Teaching

Policy recommendations to support the teaching needed to create a positive school climate