Dive Brief:
- According to the Arizona Capitol Times, an influx of new teachers combined with a wave of retirements leaves few established teachers.
- This has been confirmed by the Arizona Department of Education, which has data on the thousands of teachers who have left the classroom over the past five years and estimates the state's teacher retention rate is at 65%.
- In April, the state created a teacher retention task force to attempt to address this issue, with plans calling for suggestions to be brought before the State Board of Education by the end of September.
Dive Insight:
"When a business comes into the community, they look at the teacher turnover rate, they look at the teacher salaries, they look at the factors that impact having great educators in the classroom,” Humboldt Unified School District Superintendent Paul Stanton. Stanton believes the shortage of established teachers will eventually impact Arizona's economy and the businesses that want to come there.