Teacher Turnover: The Threat to Student Learning

Education is an anchor of society; innovation, economic growth, and empowerment stem from educated individuals. However, an online survey conducted by the Walton Family Foundation has found that nearly half of Gen Z students have reported feeling constantly disengaged in the classroom. The most crucial danger to this disengagement is a loss of passion. With more students feeling that school and learning is a “waste of time,” they look for engagement in other avenues. In the age of social media, many creators have pushed for a mindset where education is not important, where success can be achieved with wealth and entrepreneurship alone. These creators often cite big tech billionaires or entrepreneurs as proof of this lifestyle. However, the reality is that most of these individuals were educated, with 88% of billionaires having at least a college degree: intellectually curious, passionate about knowledge acquisition, who used their early years on education. 

With literacy rates reaching their lowest point since 1992, the need for action has become increasingly urgent. To address both the lack of passion and literacy, we must investigate one of the most important influences on a student’s educational experience: teachers. Bill Gates once famously thanked his chemistry teacher in his memoir for his analytical success, expressing that “I trace my love of science back to the demands he put on me... I am who I am today because of [his] influence.” It is clear that having the right teacher can change a student’s life. Unfortunately, many students today are losing access to that kind of meaningful connection because of teacher turnover and classrooms led by educators who may be placed in difficult roles without sufficient preparation or support.

Roorda and Koomen highlight the importance of meaningful teacher-student relationships towards increasing engagement in both school and passions; weaker ones are associated with worse grades and behavior. This may be attributed to the fact that some teachers are students’ biggest role models; students spend much of their years observing teachers and their actions. The best teacher-student relationships foster an environment where students feel safe to confide in teachers, and teachers feel motivated to uplift students. However, these trusting relationships can only be created if a student is exposed to a teacher’s influence for a long period of time. A teacher has to learn a student’s strengths, weaknesses, personality, and goals before they can fully support them. Teacher turnover disrupts this process. Teacher turnover is defined as the rate at which educators leave their current position, or quit teaching altogether. Every year, one in seven educators experience teacher turnover, often within one to two years of a teacher’s career. This means that students are not able to develop these relationships, crucial to development. Research by Ronfeldt, Loeb, and Wyckoff found that teacher turnover was associated with lower student achievement in both English and math. For students who are already disengaged and uninterested in learning, this lack of teacher support can make education feel less sustainable. 

This instability arises from the fact that teaching is a profession that is difficult to sustain. Ingersoll describes teaching as a “revolving door”: schools continuously lose teachers because the working conditions make it difficult for them to stay. A teacher’s salary lags behind other professions that require a similar level of education, and they make almost half the required amount to live comfortably across the United States. Their lacking salary does not in any way reflect their workload. With class sizes steadily increasing, teachers have to manage hundreds of students each day, whether through grading papers, planning lessons, or direct instructions. In fact, 84% of teachers report feeling as if they do not have enough hours during their contractual school day to complete necessary tasks. This heavy workload leads to excessive amounts of burnout, both physically and mentally. Unfortunately, their burden is not alleviated by their administration. Teachers spend significant amounts of time each day simply handling administrative compliance work or behavioral student outbursts that administration neglects. Collectively, these factors have resulted in teachers leaving their jobs, leaving many classrooms without stable support. 

When this happens, administrators are forced to respond quickly, hiring long-term substitutes or educators teaching outside their area of expertise. When educators are placed into these foreign roles without sufficient preparation, both teachers and students are put at a disadvantage. For students, this can further weaken their relationship with education. A teacher who is still learning how to manage a classroom and plan a curriculum, especially in a subject they are not familiar with, may struggle to make lessons engaging without strong administrative support. As a result, students may experience inconsistent instruction and a lack of academic confidence. This is harmful for students who are already disengaged, because they may interpret the instability around them as proof that school is not worth investing in. In reality, the problem is the education system is asking too much of teachers while giving them too little support. Students simultaneously experience the consequences of this revolving door: disrupted relationships, inconsistent instruction, all leading to a growing sense that education is irrelevant. If society wants students to regain passion for learning, it must begin by creating schools where teachers are supported enough to stay and prepared enough to thrive.

What can we do to alleviate this burden on teachers? Schools must create conditions that allow teachers to remain in the classroom, beginning with stronger administrative support. Teachers should not be expected to manage such a large workload without help from school leadership. When administrators provide clear discipline policies and reduce unnecessary paperwork, teachers are better able to focus on what they set out to do: teach. Similarly, we can continue to foster a student’s love and passion for learning through providing mentorship outside of school. If communities and societies help cultivate an environment where exploration and innovation are emphasized, students will be able to feel empowered to follow their passions, even when their classroom is unstable. At Orlando Book Bank, through our free mentorship program, we aim to make this possibility a reality. By signing up to be a mentor, or referring students in need to the program, you are helping students rediscover the curiosity and confidence that is inherent in human nature.