Being a teacher is not an easy job. The demands on an educator’s time and talents can be taxing, but also very rewarding. According to the one state education association some veteran teachers are finding the rewards are not enough to keep them in the profession. The Alliance for Excellent Education cites that cost of replacing public school teachers leaving the field totals $2.2 billion each year. The National Center for Education Statistics shows that nationally, half of all new teachers leave the profession within five years.
Washington Post Columnist Sarah Fine believes:
Having a base of teachers who teach for more than a token few years is critical to school reform. It helps principals and school leaders develop trusting relationships with teachers. It helps teachers collaborate with one another. Most of all, it helps students. A teacher with experience is not always a good teacher, but a good teacher is always better after a few years of experience.
The Florida Education Association showed that experienced teachers result in academic improvement:
A good teacher can move a student up at least four percentiles in one year. And just one percentage point higher growth will lead to 64-percent higher income over a lifetime… Veteran teachers are vital to the quality of our public schools. Not only do students reap the rewards from learning from these experienced educators, but so do novice teachers who look to them for guidance and mentoring.
The Louisiana State University Daily Reveille states, “Statistics show as more teachers change professions, more middle and high school students are at significant risk of dropping out of school.”
Copley-Fairlawn City Schools have maintained an high level of academic success over the years due in large part to the quality of teachers that have been hired and retained. Let’s be sure that our district continues to make teachers a priority by seeking ways to attract and retain the best qualified teachers our district deserves.