| No one can argue that teachers aren't important | | | | Retirement is one reason schools are seeing a |
| and, next to students, are the lifeblood of any | | | | large departure of their teaching staff. In addition, |
| school. So why are so many teachers leaving the | | | | the hiring of new teachers slowed down in the |
| profession? New York Schools, while they haven't | | | | '80s and '90s, which raised the average age of |
| lost their entire teaching staffs, are experiencing a | | | | teachers. New York Schools says that their wave |
| high turnover of teachers, just like the rest of the | | | | of such retirements was at a peak early in this |
| country. | | | | decade, but that it did not truly cause a teacher |
| New York Schools, which is the nation's largest | | | | shortage. |
| school system, recruited approximately 5,000 | | | | However, there are many new teachers hired by |
| new teachers this summer (2007) by the middle | | | | New York Schools that become disillusioned with |
| of August. They were looking for teachers | | | | the classroom, and find it hard to stay where |
| certified in Math, Science, or Special Education. | | | | they are most needed. The National Commission |
| New York Schools offered a housing incentive | | | | on Teaching and America's Future has calculated |
| that, in some cases, totals $5,000 to be used | | | | that nearly a third of all new teachers leave the |
| towards a down payment on a house. The | | | | profession after just three years, and that after |
| incentive apparently worked, based on the | | | | five years almost half are gone - a higher |
| number of teachers hired. | | | | turnover, indeed. |
| New York Public Schools are also looking outside | | | | Higher salaries in the business sector, as well as |
| the world of education for their teachers. Offering | | | | more professional opportunities are also factors in |
| subsidies to offset the cost of obtaining a | | | | the departure of teachers, even the ones |
| master's degree, New York Schools hope to | | | | working for New York Schools. Traditionally, more |
| attract "mid-career" professionals. They are | | | | women than men have become teachers, and |
| looking for folks employed in such fields as health | | | | the possibility of a better salary and the chance |
| care, law, and finance. New York Schools director | | | | to expand one's career horizons is tempting to |
| of teacher recruitment, Vicki Bernstein is looking | | | | many. |
| to hire still more teachers before school begins on | | | | Recent Department of Education statistics state |
| September 4th - at least 1,300 to be exact. | | | | that about 8.4% of the nation's 3.2 million public |
| In June, one nonprofit group conducted a survey | | | | school teachers quit the field in the 2003-4 school |
| of several school districts across the country to | | | | year. Thirty percent of them retired, and 56 |
| find out how much they were spending annually | | | | percent said they left to pursue another career or |
| for recruitment, hiring, and training new teachers. | | | | because they were dissatisfied. |
| New York Schools were included in that survey. | | | | This explains, for the most part, where the New |
| The survey found that New York Schools, among | | | | York Schools teachers have gone. The district is |
| several other districts, are experiencing teacher | | | | working hard to get them back. |
| turnover that's costing them $7 billion annually. | | | | |