Where Have All The New York Schools Teachers Gone?

No one can argue that teachers aren't importantRetirement is one reason schools are seeing a
and, next to students, are the lifeblood of anylarge departure of their teaching staff. In addition,
school. So why are so many teachers leaving thethe 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 ateachers. New York Schools says that their wave
high turnover of teachers, just like the rest of theof 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 largestshortage.
school system, recruited approximately 5,000However, there are many new teachers hired by
new teachers this summer (2007) by the middleNew York Schools that become disillusioned with
of August. They were looking for teachersthe 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 incentiveon Teaching and America's Future has calculated
that, in some cases, totals $5,000 to be usedthat nearly a third of all new teachers leave the
towards a down payment on a house. Theprofession after just three years, and that after
incentive apparently worked, based on thefive years almost half are gone - a higher
number of teachers hired.turnover, indeed.
New York Public Schools are also looking outsideHigher salaries in the business sector, as well as
the world of education for their teachers. Offeringmore professional opportunities are also factors in
subsidies to offset the cost of obtaining athe departure of teachers, even the ones
master's degree, New York Schools hope toworking for New York Schools. Traditionally, more
attract "mid-career" professionals. They arewomen than men have become teachers, and
looking for folks employed in such fields as healththe possibility of a better salary and the chance
care, law, and finance. New York Schools directorto expand one's career horizons is tempting to
of teacher recruitment, Vicki Bernstein is lookingmany.
to hire still more teachers before school begins onRecent 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 surveyschool teachers quit the field in the 2003-4 school
of several school districts across the country toyear. Thirty percent of them retired, and 56
find out how much they were spending annuallypercent 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, amongYork Schools teachers have gone. The district is
several other districts, are experiencing teacherworking hard to get them back.
turnover that's costing them $7 billion annually.