Teachers not staying in the profession, report finds

2007-06-20 12:04:00 PDT SAN FRANCISCO -- About 500,000 teachers across the country give up on the profession every year -- a persistent churn and burn that costs the public schools an estimated $7.3 billion annually, according to a national report released today.

"Schools are able to hire enough teachers, but they just can't keep them in the classroom," said Tom Carroll, president of the National Commission on Teaching and America's Future, which conducted the study.

In San Francisco, the district spends an estimated $12 million to recruit, hire and train new teachers each year to replace those who've left, the researchers found.

The annual exodus is "draining resources, diminishing teaching quality, and undermining our ability to close the student achievement gap," according to the report.

To stem the flow, districts must first determine the annual turnover rate and then focus on hiring well-prepared teachers who have a clear understanding of content, curriculum and how to manage a classroom, Carroll said.

And then, he added, they need mentoring and other support their first years.

The study analyzed five districts across the country, adding up all the costs associated with replacing outgoing teachers, including staff time spent interviewing, travel to recruitment fairs, professional development.

At the high end, Chicago spent nearly $18,000 on each of the 4,800 teachers who left every year.

Yet, in the much smaller community of Jemez Valley, N.M., the district spent $4,366 on each departing teacher.

For the complete report, go to www.nctaf.org.