Teacher turnover is higher in high-poverty than in low-poverty public schools.

At the end of the 2003–04 school year, 17 percent of the elementary and secondary teacher workforce (or 621,000 teachers) left the public and private schools where they had been teaching (see tables 31-1 and 31-2). Almost half of this teacher turnover was due to transfers: 8 percent of the teacher workforce (or 289,000 teachers) transferred to a different school. The remainder (9 percent of the teacher workforce or 333,000 teachers) was due to teachers who left teaching: teachers who took a job in a field other than elementary or secondary teaching (4 percent), returned to school for further education (0.3 percent), left for family reasons (e.g., to raise children or take care of other family members) (1 percent), retired (2 percent), and left for miscellaneous “other”¹ reasons (1 percent).

The percentage of teacher turnover at the end of 2003–04 was larger than at the end of 1987–88, 1990–91, and 1993–94 but was not measurably different from that at the end of 1999–2000. This relative increase in turnover from earlier years was not due to changes in the percentages of teachers who transferred, pursued further education, or left for family reasons: the percentages of teachers in these categories at the end of 2003–04 were not measurably different from the earlier school years. Virtually all of this relative increase was due to increases in the percentages of teachers who retired (which was greater at the end of 2003–04 than 1987–88, 1990–91, or 1993–94) and teachers who took another job or left teaching for miscellaneous other reasons (both of which were greater at the end of 2003–04 than 1987–88 or 1990–91).

In public schools, the turnover rate for high-poverty schools was greater than for low-poverty schools at the end of 2003–04 (21 vs. 14 percent) (see table 31-3). Schools were considered high poverty if 75 percent or more of their students were eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, and low poverty if less than 15 percent of their students were eligible.² Much of the difference between the two turnover rates is due to the higher transfer rate among teachers in high- versus low-poverty schools (11 vs. 6 percent). This same difference in transfer rates was observed for teachers in high- and low-poverty schools in 1991–92, 1993–94, and 1999–2000, but no difference was measurable in 1987–88.³

¹ Leavers in this category left teaching for a variety of personal reasons, ranging from “starting their own business” to becoming “a member of a contemplative religious community.” However, the most common reason reported by leavers who left for “other” reasons was to take a year-long sabbatical or leave of absence from teaching. (back to text)

² Poverty differences in private schools are not examined because a large proportion of private schools do not participate in the free or reduced-price lunch program. Public schools for which data are missing or that do not participate in the program were excluded. (back to text)

³ High- and low-poverty schools can only be identified in 1990–91 based on the percentage of students who receive free or reduced-price lunches and not on the percentage eligible to receive free or reduced-price lunches. (back to text)