Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/1480924
A S T H E T E A C H E R S H O R T A G E impacts schools throughout California and across the United States, the results of a new CTA/UCLA survey show that better pay and working conditions are key to preventing educators from leaving the profession. To identify the driving factors contributing to California's teacher shortages and to better understand the racialized experiences of educators of color, CTA partnered with UCLA's Center for the Transformation of Schools and Hart Research Associates this summer to conduct a comprehensive statewide survey of 4,600 California teachers. "Voices from the Classroom: Teaching in the Golden State" includes a quantitative survey of current teachers as well as in-depth interviews with former and aspiring educators. The sur vey found that four in 10 current teachers have explored leaving the classroom either to continue within edu- cation or to switch occupations entirely. One in five current teachers say they will likely leave the profession in the next three years — with educators aged 55 and older the most likely to leave along with more than a third of younger teachers. e top reason current teachers say they are considering leav- ing: Burnout from stress, with political attacks on teachers the next highest factor. Educators said workload, low pay, student apathy and behavioral issues, and lack of district support con- tributed to their high stress levels. Most former teachers said there was no single reason they left the profession — it was a gradual compounding of all the issues. Former teachers underscored that compensation is too low for educators to afford the high cost of living in California, which many aspiring educators also noted as a concern as they con- sider a future in the profession. " When I was teaching in San Francisco, I had to do every additional extracurricular," a 32-year-old elementary educator said. "I coached volleyball just so I could pay rent. I joined the instructional leadership team to get the extra stipend." Better pay and working conditions key to addressing teacher shortage CTA/UCLA survey: Developing a strategy for teacher recruitment, retention By Julian Peeples Educators overwhelmingly pointed to better pay as the number one priority; the survey report suggests state and local officials should focus on the top four results to help attract and retain teachers. 16 cta.org Special Report