A Teacher's Journal: Why Teachers Quit

Teacher Magazine is running an interesting article titled Why Teachers Quit that summarizes a recent research report on attrition released by The National Center for Education Statistics after surveying nearly 7,000 current and former teachers. Tops on most leavers' lists: a need for more autonomy and control over classroom decisions.

"I still enjoyed teaching, but it was a constant battle with the administration," said Meghan Sharp, a teacher who recently left her 10th grade biology students in an urban district in northern New Jersey. "I had to do things like submit weekly lesson plans. There was a lot of bureaucracy."

Increased demands due to higher community expectations has also made teaching a less appealing profession. "As states have increased their reform orientation and their standards and accountability, a good chunk of that falls on the shoulders of teachers," says Margaret Plecki, an associate professor in educational leadership and policy studies at the University of Washington in Seattle.

Even as a highly accomplished teacher, I struggle under the weight of these demands. Knowing that student achievement is absolutely essential, I spend dozens and dozens of hours outside of the regular school day working to identify the instructional practices best suited to my children. Meetings with colleagues, collecting and analyzing data, communicating with parents, assessing student work and providing remediation almost consume me. Rarely do I walk home without bringing work with me and rarely do I feel as if my work is ever finished.

Yet these increased demands are rarely matched with increased potential for reward or advancement. Faced with the reality that our work is changing yet our profession is not, young educators like my colleague Maria are moving into positions that better match their personal expectations for careers. Until we recognize that the time for significant change to teacher working conditions and salary structures has come, we will struggle to ensure that every child has access to an accomplished classroom teacher.

Posted by William Ferriter at 11:00 AM on May 01, 2007 | Leave Feedback

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