Blog Respect/Retention

Most teachers I know are extremely hard working, professional and dedicated to their students. Yes there are individuals who don't belong in the profession and methods should be applied to remove them. To blame the ills of the system on all teachers is an insult, injustice and a travesty. Often they are the forgotten heroes in our society. They spend many hours beyond their time in the school, online, at home planning, grading evaluating progress or "volunteering" for school activities or attending meetings required by the principle or school system.

The opinion below are the result of my professional experiences as an: historian, webmaster, master teacher, teacher's union vice president and president, parent and grandparent.

Teacher Retention Updated May 22/2023

The NEA in a recent article using the 2018 Global Teacher Status Index studied how teachers are viewed world wide and showed where teachers stand as related to one another world wide. Teachers now face new safety concerns, political interference and professional restrictions which need to be addressed. If we gave them the safety, respect, financial rewards, publicity and recognition we give our athletes and actors, more children would strive to be a teacher. We need to have the best and the brightest in the classroom. In Georgia a recent survey found that "Currently, 44% of Georgia's newly hired teachers are dropping out of the profession by year five. Equally alarming is that there was a 16% dip from 2010 to 2014 in the number of candidates entering Georgia's teacher preparation programs." Read the whole survey Here. I am positive this statistic applies to most school systems. Teachers are vital to our safety, survival, politically, economically, environmentally and socially.

Articles

Scholarly Articles for Teacher Retention Rates

Improving Teacher Retention through Support and Development

Teacher turnover hits new highs across U.S. - Chalkbeat

Why Teachers Leave—or Don't: A Look at the Numbers

Teacher Retention: Preventing Teacher Turnover

Pay Them Respect Them and Teachers Will Come and Stay.