A new school year has started -- one that comes with the familiar trappings of education: recess, binders, and, square pizza.
This year, we once again face an educational challenge that has perplexed generation after generation: Teacher turnover.
Research tells us roughly half of new teachers will leave the workforce within four years. Half! But here’s the rub: Research also tells us what leads to the most learning for students is allowing teachers the space to learn on the job, to develop experience. And yet, experience is precisely the commodity often missing in schools today.
I should admit at this point that I don’t know what the answer is. One of the most popular books on the topic, Tinkering toward Utopia, sarcastically suggests we are always one step away from identifying the silver bullet that will solve this cyclical problem.
Of course, there is no silver bullet and there are multiple reasons for this situation. Low pay. Shaming teachers for working overtime to make ends meet or, similarly, blaming educators for not working in the summer. Questioning pedagogical approaches when children don’t meet expectations. And, of course, that old punching bag: requiring that educators “teach to the test.” Or, more accurately, tests.
Again, the answer to this problem of teacher turnover has proved itself frustratingly stubborn and likely won’t get solved this year. Perhaps, at the beginning of this academic year, when hopes for the future are the highest, it is simply worth appreciating the efforts professional educators put into their profession and acknowledging the value of experience.
I'm Jacob Hardesty, and that's my perspective.
