What Happens to Students When Teachers Leave Midyear?
October 25, 2018
By: Jessica Campisi
Source: Education Dive
Dive Brief
- The harmful effects of teacher turnover — which also impact students whose teachers stay on staff — may be largely driven by educators who leave midyear, and this might happen more than previous research suggested, according to a group of studies appearing in the journal Education Finance and Policy.
Dive Insight
Low teacher retention rates indisputably hurt students and schools across the country, and nationwide teacher shortages remains one of the top issues in education. This school year began with 100,000 classrooms where teachers were inadequately certified or inexperience. Experts say the shortages are fueled in part by low salaries that haven’t recovered from the recession, general school finance problems that place more monetary burdens on educators, a lack of attractiveness of the profession and the tendency for teachers to face disrespect or blame for the brunt of today’s biggest education struggles. Other factors, like preparation through alternative routes, also make teachers much more likely to leave during the school year.