So You Want to be So You Want to be a a TeacherTeacher?!?!

TeachingTeachingTeachers drop out at a higher rate Teachers drop out at a higher rate than their students. than their students.

An estimated An estimated 10%10% leave the leave the profession in their first yearprofession in their first year

30-40%30-40% flee the  flee the classroomclassroom  within  within four yearsfour years(Michigan drop out rate for students is 24%)(Michigan drop out rate for students is 24%)

Experience?Experience?About About 1 in 81 in 8 teachers have less teachers have less than five years of experience in than five years of experience in their school. their school.

There are almost as many There are almost as many teachers with teachers with one year or lessone year or less experienceexperience in their current school in their current school as teachers with more than as teachers with more than 20 20 years of experience. years of experience.

Young?Young?The percentage of U.S. teachers The percentage of U.S. teachers younger than 30 doubled in just five younger than 30 doubled in just five years, from 2006 to 2011.years, from 2006 to 2011.

Those young teachers are dropping out Those young teachers are dropping out at a faster rate than in the past, with 1 at a faster rate than in the past, with 1 in 10 educators with 1-3 years of in 10 educators with 1-3 years of experience leaving the classroom experience leaving the classroom every year. every year.

Need?Need?Bridge Magazine found that high Bridge Magazine found that high poverty schools are poverty schools are more than more than twice as likelytwice as likely to have to have inexperienced teachers than inexperienced teachers than wealthy, suburban schools. wealthy, suburban schools.

Kids who are most in need of Kids who are most in need of experienced teachers are the experienced teachers are the least likely to get them. least likely to get them.

Why do they leave?Why do they leave?An estimated An estimated 40% of teachers40% of teachers spend as much or more time training spend as much or more time training to be a teacher than being a to be a teacher than being a teacher. teacher.

Teaching often is a Teaching often is a high-stress jobhigh-stress job, , particularly for young teachers trying particularly for young teachers trying to figure out how to manage a to figure out how to manage a classroom – something most are classroom – something most are expected to learn on the job. expected to learn on the job.

References:References:

Detroit Free Press OnlineDetroit Free Press Online

Michigan-teachers-leaving-dropout-rate-Michigan-teachers-leaving-dropout-rate-teacher-evaluations teacher-evaluations

Ron French-Bridge MagazineRon French-Bridge Magazine