New Report Shows Fewer NC Teachers Are Leaving The Classroom

A new report says fewer North Carolina teachers are quitting their jobs. But educators say there's still more work to be done.

The State Department of Public Instruction found that more than 7,600 teachers left the classroom during the 2017-2018 school year.

That's a slight decrease compared to the last couple of years.

The report says most teachers left for personal reasons. Retiring with full benefits, family relocation and career change were among the top of the list.

Nine percent of the teachers who resigned said they were leaving to teach in another state.

A small number, 123, said they left because they were dissatisfied with teaching.

The data also shows that beginning teachers, those with less than 3 years of experience, are leaving at a higher rate. And that concerns Ronda Mays, president of Forsyth County Association of Educators.

“When you have people who are in and out and not stable in providing an education to our students then that also impacts their ability to achieve,” she says.

Republican leaders say recent policy changes to address pay and other issues are helping with teacher turnover and the report is a good sign that things are improving.

Mays thinks it's commitment and passion keeping teachers in the classroom. She hopes lawmakers will continue addressing recruitment and retention problems still facing many districts.

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