Education Week - October 14, 2015 - 6

N.C. Plagued by Teacher Attrition
Despite Retention, Pay Measures
A new report says the state hasn't done enough to keep teachers

The state's classification of "turnover due
to personal reasons" is a relatively new
term. Up until 2012, those types of attrition
were listed (tellingly) as "turnover that
might be reduced." In 2014-15, more than
2,700 teachers left for such reasons,
a 21 percent increase over the year prior.

from Northampton hadn't returned
requests for comment.)
Among states that have struggled
Where there is greater attrition,
to find enough teachers to fill their
Knight recommended looking to the
Resigned due to health/disability:
classrooms this school year, North
state's legislature as a cause. "We're
195 (3%)
Carolina may be in a special class.
having attrition because the educaIts problems stem not necessarily
tion profession is not supported at all
Retired with reduced benefits:
from how many teachers it is able
by the General Assembly," she said.
479 (8%)
to recruit, but from how many leave.
Indeed, among educators in North
Re-employed retired teacher
Despite some state action to reduce
Carolina, there is little love for the
resigned: 180 (3%)
teacher attrition, new data show litRepublican-controlled legislature. In
tle or no return on such efforts, with
discussing the department's report
Resigned to continue
education/sabbatical: 286 (5%)
turnover now at the highest rate in
with North Carolina Public Radio
at least five years, at nearly 15 perstation WUNC, state schools chief
cent of teachers. In 2010, turnover
June Atkinson laid blame on
was at just over 11 percent.
lawmakers for not doing more
8%
13%
3%
to increase salaries for veteran
In August 2014, Gov. Pat McCrory,
Resigned due to family
teachers.
a Republican, signed into law a budresponsibilities/
get deal that overhauled the salary
Lawmakers also atchild care: 757
3%
schedule, introducing a step system
tempted to end tenure,
that gave an average 7 percent salbut were rebuffed by a
ary increase to teachers as a way to
state appeals court. A
5%
improve retention. However, the heftlegislative stalemate
iest raises went to new teachers, who
this summer over
tend to have higher attrition, while
school funding in
more-established veterans received
the newest budget
21%
raises as small as 1 percent.
only exacerbated
Dissatisfied with teaching
In a statement released after that
matters, reportor career change: 1,209
budget deal, House Speaker Thom
edly causing anger
27%
Tillis and Senate President Pro Temamong thousands of
Resigned due to family
pore Phil Berger, also Republicans, ANGELA KNIGHT
teaching assistants
relocation: 1,547
made an optimistic declaration:
who were at risk off
Superintendent, Graham County, N.C.
"Investing $282 million in pay
being laid off.
18%
A decade ago, North
raises will make North Carolina
competitive nationally and encour- see border, had the highest retention Carolina paid teachers
Resigned to teach in
age the best and brightest teachers rate, with only five of its 87 teachers better than half the other
another state: 1,028
SOURCE: North Carolina
to make a long-term commitment to leaving. Five other districts with 100 states in the country. The
Department of Public Instruction
their profession, our students, and or fewer teachers had at least double state now ranks among the botstates. According to the Naour state."
tom fifth in terms of teacher salary,
Na
Graham's attrition rate.
"Parents support teachers here, the according to state and federal data.
tional Center for Education Sta
Stacommunity engages with the teachResearch shows that turnover hap
haptistics, state spending on teacher
Political Capital
ers here," said Angela Knight, the pens for any number of reasons, only dismissed or forced out by their dis- salaries fell more in North CaroAccording to an October report Graham County district's superin- one of which stems from teacher dis- trict; teachers who left for largely lina than in any other state befrom the state education depart- tendent. "We really do have a small satisfaction. The state education de- uncontrollable reasons (retirement, tween 2000 and 2013, adjusted for
ment, though, in the year since that traditional community atmosphere, partment divides turnover into five mostly, or military transfers, or inflation. When lawmakers overnew budget was enacted, the teacher- and [teachers] get invested in that, categories: teachers who left their death); teachers who left for personal hauled the salary schedule in 2014,
attrition rate went up.
and they just want to stay."
district but remained in education in reasons; and unknown reasons.
teachers with a bachelor's degree
The report collected data from
(As of press time, representatives North Carolina; teachers who were
It's the "personal reasons" category were promised at least $188,000
where the real problems appear to more over the course of 35 years of
lie. North Carolina lost about 2,700 teaching compared with the previteachers last year due to causes that ous salary schedule, but that rate
suggest personal dissatisfaction with was still below salary levels from
the state's public schools, whether 2007-08.
through outright exit from the proThe state also lowered the value
Pursue your own learning ONLINE.
fession, poaching by other states, or of master's degrees, which some reearly retirement. That compares to searchers say offer little benefit to
about 2,245 teachers leaving for such instructional capacity. There's still
"I am impressed with the caliber
reasons the year before, a 21 percent a significant pay bump for teachof my experience at K-State,
increase. North Carolina employed ers who obtain certification from
and pleasantly surprised at
about 96,000 teachers during the the National Board for Professional
the quality of education I have
received online."
2014-15 school year.
Teaching Standards.
Jane from Kansas City, Kansas
In a memo on its website, the state's
Master's degree student
Republican Party says that funding isA Legislative Issue
sues aren't the state's fault. "The fact
Some
North
Carolina
school
remains that our county and city govAward-winning online master's degrees,
administrators told Asheville's ernments could choose to spend more
graduate certificates and courses for
Citizen-Times that they're losing on educating our children, but they
educators in the areas of:
teachers to surrounding states like don't," the unauthored post says.
* Adult Learning
Florida, Georgia, and South CaroBut more than dissatisfaction over
* Digital Teaching and Learning
* Educational Leadership
lina; Texas has repeatedly mined pay, there's frustration among edu* English as a Second Language
the North Carolina teaching corps cators expressed in news articles, in
* Functional Special Education
with the promise of higher salaries. editorials, and in blog posts that the
* K-12 Curriculum and Instruction
ONLINE EDUCATION
According to the National Educa- legislature is trying to dismantle the
* Mathematics Education
VISIT global.k-state.edu/education
* Online Course Design
tion Association, both Georgia and state's public education system.
* Reading Specialist
South Carolina offer better average
"Right now," Knight said, "public ed* Social Justice Education
teacher salaries than North Caro- ucation doesn't seem to be important."
* Teaching Civics and Government
lina; Florida is roughly equivalent.
North Carolina spends less on Visit the TEACHING NOW blog, which tracks news
9119
education relative to many other and trends on this issue. www.edweek.org/blogs

By Ross Brenneman

March 2014 to March 2015, and the
raises only went into effect in August
2014, so there may be a greater impact visible when new data are available. What the study currently shows,
though, is the highest turnover in
more than a decade and major disparities in teacher-retention rates
among districts.
In Northampton County, a small
district in the northeast part of the
state, one-third of its 155 teachers left during the 2014-15 school
year. By contrast, Graham County,
a half-hour drive east of the Tennes-

THE 'PERSONAL
REASONS' DRIVING
TEACHERS FROM
NORTH CAROLINA

We're having attrition
because the education
profession is not
supported at all by the
General Assembly."

6 | EDUCATION WEEK | October 14, 2015 | www.edweek.org

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Education Week - October 14, 2015

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