Why Teachers Quit

Reversing the Trend of Teachers Leaving Their Jobs

Jan 15, 2009
Jennifer Wagaman

Reasons Teachers Leave their Jobs - Alvimann

Teachers and administration need to work together to help preserve the schools most valuable resources - the teachers.

According to the National Education Association, half of new teachers quit within the first five years [NEA Addresses Top Five Teaching Trends and Outlines "Portrait of American Teacher" 2003]. Two important questions to ask regarding this disturbing information are why do so many teachers leave their jobs, and how can schools help prevent this trend?

Reasons Teachers Leave Their Jobs

Some reasons teachers leave the teaching career are for things that are out of their control, such as low pay and the particular administration in charge at their school. Other reasons teachers leave their jobs include the work environment and the work load. Teachers often feel the pressure to teach to the test and to find ways to have every student in their classroom pass state standardized testing regardless of the ability of each student. Schools need to work together to resolve these issues that cause teachers to leave their jobs.

How Schools Can Increase Teacher Retention

Identifying the needs of the teachers in any given school is a vital first step towards increasing teacher retention. This can be done through surveys and individual conversations between the school administration and the individual teachers or teacher teams. Although it may seem like a lot of trivial complaints, schools should look through the answers for the key issues that the teachers are facing and find ways to provide resources and support to help prevent teacher burnout.

Teaching to the Test

John Adams once said, "There are two educations. One should teach us how to make a living and the other how to live" [John Adams Web, accessed on January 15, 2009]. Teachers should strive to teach both educations each day, and although one is easily assessed through standardized tests, the other is not. Although there are strict guidelines that each school must meet thanks to the No Child Left Behind Act, teachers should be encouraged to not simply teach to the test, but to truly educate their students.

Lesson Planning Problems

Many teachers struggle to know what to plan, and how to write their plans. Put together a sample lesson planning booklet for each teacher, including sample lessons written in various styles. Included in this booklet should also be any school or district requirements for lesson plans. Ask for volunteers among the teachers to help those who desire additional lesson planning support, and pair them with those teachers who may need the extra help. Read more lesson planning tips.

Work Environment Issues

Administration in each school needs to take stock of the environment their teachers work in each day. A non-supportive principal or vice principal can be a huge problem for a teacher facing an issue with another teacher in the building. Take all issues seriously, and work hard to promote an atmosphere of support and encouragement. If requirements placed on teachers causes undue stress, changes should be made. when a teacher complains about something, take the complaint seriously, and look for ways to improve the situation.

Administration should beware of teachers who complain about an issue and then fall silent, returning to work despite an ongoing issue. These teachers will most likely begin to look for a way to leave their jobs, and the principal will be required fill the position. Teachers and administration should work together to find areas that need improvement and additional support in order to slow the trend of teachers who are leaving their jobs.

You may be interested in other tips for new teachers including information on teacher mentorship.

Jennifer Wagaman - Jennifer is a mother of 2 and has both public, private and administrative experience in the education field.

Comments

Jan 15, 2009 11:16 AM

Eleanore Whitaker :

A more aggressive view of why teachers leave their positions in my state (NJ) is a direct result of the tenure system so highly valuable to teachers unions. NJ teachers salaries, without experience, average $45,000. Most NJ teachers earn $90,000 and school administrators, vice principals and principals earn anywhere from $110,000 to $210,000. That's a guaranteed salary, no matter what the economy trend happens to be. Most teaching jobs are 180 days. A salary of $90,000 for 180 days of work isn't bad. That doesn't count $30,000 health care plans. Nor, does it count pension costs taxpayers are billed for. Everywhere in private sector, employees are paying $25-30 per prescription. Teacher copays are $10 and they gripe about that. Last year in NJ, the NJEA was lobbying to the tune of millions of dollars for free taxpayer-paid health care upon their retirement.
With all due respect, the real reason teachers leave their jobs is boredom. Like any other job, it becomes rote after 5 years and teaching doesn't have the opportunities of upward mobility as in government or private sector. Teaching is what it is. Period. Teachers know going into college their career is child oriented. If they weary of working with children, they should have considered that before they started on the path to becoming an educator.
NJ's school taxes are 85% of the entire tax bill. Teachers' salaries and benefits are 82% of that 85%. The entire format of teacher jobs needs total revamping. In any other job, performance bonuses and salary increases are based upon skills and productivity, not longevity. No is there any job security.
Teachers pay for that job security they prize so highly. I cannot feel in the least sympathetic. Many parents complain bitterly about the high cost of school supplies. When a teacher is guaranteed an 18% contracted salary increase over the life of a 3-year contract at 6% a year and salaries in private industries have stagnated to that of salaries in 1971, the education sector needs a reality check. Private sector employees are tapped out, working longer hours than teachers ever will and pay higher health care copays. Meanwhile, our retirement age is extended by the federal government to age 67, more than 5 years after a teacher has the option to retire. Fair? I think not. No private sector employee wants to work till they drop just to pay taxes that pay teachers salaries, health benefits and retirement.

Feb 10, 2009 6:57 PM

Guest :

I am a teacher and seriously thinking about leaving after 10 years. I am not leaving because I am bored, but rather I am sick of dealing with the public's opinions of teachers. I work MUCH more than the 180 days of my contract, not to mention the continual traning I attend (at my expense). Benifits is no longer in addition to my pay. After 10 years I make about $65,000 in CA, and then I pay for benifits. For me, it isn't about the pay though. I make a decent living and can afford to be a single parent.

Another reason I am giving serious thought to leaving is because of NCLB. I am working my tail off trying to get students to pass these tests and I care more than them or their parents. I have continual road blocks with parents (including those that are "A" students"). I am always trying to come up with more engaging activities to be looked at as if I have lost my mind. I won't even get into all 9th grade students being in Algebra or better when some of them can't even add 3, 4-digit numbers.

Teaching is not what it was even when it started 10 years ago. I am no longer fostering students but trying to train robots. It is hard to find motivation to try and find something new everyday. The hardest part is watching kids that have failed over and over and knowing that the 50 minutes I have them in a day will never undo the thoughts that they have been telling themselves: I am a loser that cannot learn; I know I am going to fail, so I am going to fail on my own terms. How can a teacher fight that????

Feb 16, 2009 2:41 PM

Guest :

I have been teaching for five years and I am considering getting out of the profession.
I think I make a decent wage. My base salary is $39,000, but I've taken on multiple advisory/leadership roles to boost it to $48,000. I work too many hours which leaves me little time for my family. I try to put my classwork behind me, but I can't. There is always something else to do. I want a job I can leave at 5 p.m. with little or no thought.
The main reason I am leaving is because of the low public opinion of teachers. Just because a person went to school doesn't mean that person knows how to teach. It seems as if people think that they own the teachers. I'm sick of the "I pay your salary" or "my tax dollars pay your salary" comment. I'm also tired of the enabling parent. The parent who emails or calls me to explain why "Jimmy" is falling asleep in my class or who can't make it to school on time and to request that I email her every day with an update on her child. I see 150 students every day; I'm tired.
With that said, I really do love my students. Most are funny, interesting, and intelligent. There are a few who are apathetic and lazy and those make the days long and difficult. However, it is the students who come to class ready to learn (not always the brightest either) that I work for.

Feb 25, 2009 9:14 AM

Guest :

To say that teachers are leaving their jobs because they are bored is absurd. As a 5 year teacher who has considered leaving several times throughout the years, I can say boredom never entered my mind as a reason to quit. Many teachers are not in the field for the pay. If that were the case, the teacher shortage would be far greater than the current situation. People leave teaching because they are burnt out. Imagine having 22-25 clients to manange simultaneously, every day. That's what teaching is like...taking care of 22-25 (or in the case of middle school and high school, 150-170) individual clients who all need the same thing, but need it in a different way. I love my job and think it is the most rewarding profession out there, but to say that you don't feel sympathetic for teachers just shows how little people know. Go spend 30 minutes with an elementary school teacher at the end of the day on a Friday, and tell me that we don't earn our salaries. I'm sorry that your state has offended you by paying teachers what they deserve, but if they got paid for everything they do, I have a feeling you would be far more upset considering our hours last far longer than the time we put on the clock (and our salaries don't include overtime!). People always think the summers "must be so nice" but what they don't realize is that we are working during those times, too. The constant burden of paperwork, testing, planning, grading, and teaching is very taxing on people and I completely understand those who want to leave. People leave to find jobs where they can be bored and not think, not because our job is boring.

Mar 10, 2009 2:36 PM

Guest :

I completely disagree with Eleanore.
#1 Teachers in my state make 36,000 WITH A MASTERS DEGREE and a few years experience. Their insurance is equally disappointing.
#2 Discipline is failing and kids who have "behavior disorders" are allowed to act any way they want and do not receive punishment
#3 Teachers are constantly "graded" based on their students performance on the NCLB test.
#4 Teachers are losing the freedom to teach "their way" because of NCLB. Their creativity and passion is drained.
#5. Teachers in many districts have little or no support from parents.
#6. Teachers are given insufficient time to plan and end up working hours at home to keep up.
#7. Even if all of the above was not enough, teacher's never receive the "thank you's" that they deserve.

Jul 26, 2009 9:13 PM

Guest :

I have been a teacher for eight years and I can honestly say that every year is different and my students are different every year as well. There is no boredom in my job. The real issue is that, after 8 years of service, I am only making 37,000 and that includes my master's degree. The bottom line is that I cannot support my family on this low wage. There are other businesses that I can go into where my salary will double and that's why I am choosing to leave.

Issues with school safety and teacher respect are no help either.

Jul 26, 2009 9:33 PM

Guest :

"No private sector employee wants to work till they drop just to pay taxes that pay teachers salaries, health benefits and retirement."

This quote pretty much sums up why so many teachers are leaving the profession. After all of teachers hard work to make this statement is just another slap in their face in the midst of all the negativity that teachers encounter on a daily basis. My comment to this person would be simple - YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR.

By the way, no one is "working till they drop" to support a teacher's "whopping" salary, which accounts for a small fraction of taxes. Do a little research on exactly how much money gets put into teachers' salaries - you'd be surprised what you find out.

Nov 6, 2009 3:01 AM

Guest :

Not sure where Eleanore W. is getting her information about what the average NJ teacher makes, but I can tell you from personal experience that after working as a classroom teacher in the same affluent school district for the past 32 years, I have yet to reach the "average" $90K she states. And an 18% increase over a three year contract? Try 4%. Teachers in my NJ school district have contributed to their health care costs for over two decades. Another laughable contention is that teachers work 180 days. This is a job where the "home work" often exceeds 20 hours/week resulting in a 60 hour workweek. Several years ago I computed what I am actually paid to work with a child in my classroom... $2.50/hour! Less than half of what a teenage babysitter would be paid. If public school teachers could freelance and charge parents by the hour to instruct their children our salaries would triple. What job could be more important than educating the minds of our future, yet the base salary of a NJ teacher lags behind that of an event planner at Johnson & Johnson or a toll collector on the NJ Turnpike. Those who seek to minimize teacher compensation clearly fail to grasp the importance of offering salaries commensurate with responsibilities. Good teachers leave this profession because of low morale and misinformed people like Eleanore who continue to drive the nails into the coffin of public education.
Sherrie D.

Nov 27, 2009 1:27 PM

Guest :

I love teaching. My seventh graders arrive to my classroom like a boquet of roses each day. They work hard, and they know how to have fun with the school work they take so seriously. They bring tremendously positive energy to my life, and they bring even more when I reciprocate. My energy and accuracy are at their best when I have time to eat and sleep. Logical. No?
I don't mind working 50-70 hours each week, but I feel an intense sadness when people and circumstances stand between me and my lunch. I feel like a kid who got all 6 of his sharp #2 pencils stolen before an important exam. If I miss lunch, I still make an effort, but my mind is not as clear and my mood is not as good. Our school's anti-lunch culture is easier to deal with if I get a good meal on a Sunday. This way if I have to skip lunch on Monday & Tuesday, I'm still okay until Wednesday. If I lose my Sunday meal, I never know if I will have enough time to eat "for real" before mid-week. If a concerned parent calls my cell phone during lunch on a Sunday, I want to be kind and schedule a conference or follow up call later in the week when I have more resources at hand to help this parent with her special needs. If I politely tell her 4-5 times that I need to get off the phone to serve lunch to my family, and she refuses to postpone the conversation, and getting off the phone means compromising my manners, I feel stuck. I am being asked to stay away from my food and family, and I am expected to be accessible in ways that are logistically very difficult. This makes me want to quit. I believe that teachers want to quit most when they are not allowed to meet their needs, and when they don't have the resources to meet the needs of others. It appears I could better serve this parent and her child if I had no stomach, no need of a meal, no family, and could be in front of my classroom computer at any given moment on a Sunday.

Mar 12, 2010 7:43 PM

Guest :

I am a teacher. I do not enjoy my job. I do not make enough money to do what I am doing. Students are disrespectful and lazy. They do not want to do any work, but they will sell their souls to the devil for points! Parents continuously hassle teachers about their childrens' grades. Parents lie for their kids in order to get special privileges. At times, there are more parents in the halls than kids! No matter what happens, it's the teacher's fault. Teachers have to be counselors, nurses, babysitters, lunch room workers, bus monitors, sport gate keepers, hall monitors, advisors, paper pushers and heaven forbid, expected to teach curriculum as well! There is no respect for teachers. I work about 10 hours per day and at least 8 hours on the weekends. This does not include the "extra" duty hours I may encounter nor the time I spend during the summers working on my subject areas. At my school, faculty meetings usually run about 2 hours, so on those days, I leave home at 7 a.m. and do not get home until around 6 p.m. The constant demands of students never ends. There's tutoring before school and after school. Parents needing a conference do make appointments. They walk in whenever or call whenever. The demands of the job are infuriating plus the salary sucks, sucks, sucks. I can hardly pay my bills. It is a thankless, humiliating job. Students have no desire to learn. It's a horrible, horrible life, but I am too old to do anything else. Due to a divorce situation, I had to go back to work. I have no choice and I abhor the teaching profession. It's certainly not what I envisioned and I work my butt off. For nothing. No appreciation. No recognition. No compensation. I stay exhausted and do much more homework than any of my students ever thought about doing. I try, but it's of no use.

Jul 31, 2010 6:42 AM

Guest :

I will stand up and support Eleanore's comment. As a fellow nj resident, I vouch for what she says. Local property taxes fund local school districts and the percentages cited are correct. Btw, the NJEA is affectionately known as the nj extortion association. Enough said!

Sep 13, 2010 8:10 PM

Guest :

Quite honestly, unless you're a teacher or have been a teacher, I don't believe you have a right to judge our profession. As a high school teacher, I work 10 hours at school PLUS an additional 4-5 hours per week night. I left a high paying private sector job to teach, but had no idea the amount of exhaustion this profession entails. While in "Corporate America," I thought my 60+ hour work weeks were stressful. It took becoming a teacher to see that I had the good life. Those of you who aren't teachers will never, ever understand. As a (middle or high school) teacher, you are responsible for 130-150 students per day. You don't get the chance to have a laid back day. So, please don't try to compare the hours and long days of a private sector job to teaching.

Nov 24, 2010 1:20 AM

Guest :

As a teacher, i feel like quitting because it's so hard to get ongoing work. In no other job do you need to reapply for your job every year. it's complete joke the amount of contract work out there. You shouldn't have to bend over backwards to get a job.

Nov 24, 2010 1:29 AM

Guest :

I would also like to add that I disagree completely with Eleanore. Eleanore is obviously not a teacher because she thinks we only work 180 days a week. Also, leaving because of boredom- that is a ridicules statement. Teachers can change grades, schools or simple create new innovative lessons.

Apr 11, 2011 12:38 PM

Guest :

I also want to quit the profession. All students do is cheat and their parents help them (this is at the 13th grade level...I mean community college). I'd say 80-90% of students cheat and then laugh in the face of the teacher because the teacher has NO POWER OR CONTROL. If a teacher calls a student out on cheating that teacher is discriminating, a racist or some equally abhorrent lie. A teacher can NOT report a student for cheating a keep their job. The administration ALWAYS takes the side of the students.

A STUDENT BEAT A TEACHER UP AT MY SCHOOL. THE ADMINISTRATION DID NOTHING AND THE STUDENT GOT 60 DAYS COMMUNITY SERVICE. Yes that was all!!! That student is to this day eligible to register at the school I teach in - why? Teachers get NO RESPECT AND ARE TREATED LIKE CRAP - by SOCIETY, by STUDENTS and by the ADMINISTRATION.

Teachers are bullied and humiliated on sites like ratemyprofessor.com and ratemyteacher.com and society says that is ok - why? Teachers are not valued or respected. To get high ratings teachers must let students cheat and be "easy graders"....otherwise the teachers are stuck in their crappy job because the defamations on those sites are googled by anyone.

This is coming from a teacher who was excited to start teaching four years ago and loved the job. I will be resigning as soon as I find a new job and I will never look back.

May 3, 2011 11:07 AM

Guest :

I could repeat each and every reason already stated, for leaving, but if i do, then I would not be a "team player", or not have the "right attitude", or any of the myriad of cowardly cliches put upon teachers if they speak up.

I answered the call for more teachers, leaving a high-paying job in aerospace.
Even though that position is gone forever, I'll find something more satisfying and less disappointing than teaching.

May 29, 2011 3:51 AM

Guest :

I have been a teacher for 16 years in the public school system. I loved my job up until about 4 years ago when a new generation of micromanaging principals stormed in. Now, we teachers can do nothing right without being told exactly how to do it, we are screamed at (literally) in our classrooms in front of our students for insignificant things, we are constantly being asked to put in our own time without pay, we are called at home and reprimanded for insigfiicant things, and our administrators motto is "What gets monitored gets done." These jerks give us no respect, argue with us, and basically tell us we are incompetents. So why not fire the entire staff and hire a new one? This isn't to mention all of the issues with students, test scores, back-stabbing co-workers, etc.

Apr 2, 2012 9:36 AM

Guest :

I realize that this is an older article, and I'm just now finding it...the bureaucracy involved in teaching now has choked teacher creativity and liberty to the point that we are akin to the Borg from Star Trek. It is for the almighty test that we do what we do, with little to know support from parents. The education problems we suffer are as a result of the ripple effect of what is happening to our society. I am considering leaving the profession because I see no solution in sight until we elect leaders with more common sense than campaign donations from various groups.

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