Top+5+Reasons+Why+Teacher+Turnover+Is+Rising

=Published by the Huffington Post= =8/11/11= = = =Just as high school dropout and graduation rates are a persistent issue of concern in the education arena, teacher turnover rates are similarly troubling.= =Almost half of teachers leave the field after just five years, according to the National Commission on Teaching and America's Future, and the debate surrounding how to keep teachers in the profession is still evolving.= =This in-and-out filtering of educators creates discontinuity and costs school districts across the country $2.2 billion annually, according to social action network Take Part.= =So why are all these teachers packing up their desks and leaving the classroom? Here are the top five reasons, from our friends at Take Part. To read more about each, visit TakePart.com.=

= =

= 5. BURNOUT - Researchers think that extended hours are wearing out educators.= = =

= 4. THREAT OF LAYOFFS - Tens of thousands of teachers have been laid off over the last four years.= = =

= 3. LOW WAGES - The current national average starting salary for teachers is just above $35,000. (Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said last month that teachers should be making between $60,000 and $150,000 annually).= = =

= 2. TESTING PRESSURE - Standardized test scores have become a much heftier factor in evaluating teachers since No Child Left Behind was introduced 10 years ago.= = =

= 1. POOR WORKING CONDITIONS - Teachers say they are offered few resources and little support. More entry-level teachers than senior-level educators are also placed in high-needs schools.=

=News= =home=