LM Nov-Dec_2023

Teacher Shortage Low-Cost Tips to Help with

Teacher Retention

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By Ralph Grimm, IASA Field Services Director and Dr. James Rosborg, Retired Illinois Superintendent and Director of the Master’s in Education Program at McKendree University

We will still focus on some major needs in this area but, with this said, it is now time to combine other areas such as attrition and retention to end the drastic shortage of teachers in the classroom. For example, Professor Richard Ingersoll from the University of Pennsylvania points out that 44 percent of teachers are now leaving the educational system within the first five years of employment. Even more upsetting is that 10 percent are leaving the education system in their first year of employment. (Teacher Retention: A Growing Problem, nsba. org 10/01/2019). Further data comes from American Uni versity which found that 90 percent of polled educators have concerns about burnout and 61 percent feel that there is a serious concern about the stress from the impact of COVID. (Teacher Retention: Preventing Teacher Turnover, American University, Washington, D.C., 10/13/2022). Bottom line—we must tackle the retention and attrition areas along with recruitment for long range solutions to this growing teacher shortage problem.

Over the past 10 years, our research has focused on the need to establish programs that encourage more individuals to get into teaching as a profession. Now we need to add to our focus how to keep teachers on the job and deal with the attrition of experienced and early career teachers. For example, have you ever been to a gathering of teachers and administrators? One of the first topics that comes up in discussion is usually, “How many years do you have to work before you can retire?” Currently, there are many good ideas and options floating around for how to aid teacher recruitment (getting candidates into education programs and into the classroom). This essay is not going to end this discussion but will add focus on keeping teachers in your district and providing an environ ment to keep experienced and early career teachers in the classroom.

22 LM Holidays 2023