The problem of teacher turnover

Given the state of education in the United States and the significant number of teachers who leave after just a few years of teaching, it is pragmatically important to investigate both the causes of teacher attrition and strategies for retention. Difficulty retaining new, energized teachers negatively affects student learning in two ways. Firstly, new teachers come to the profession with updated, research-based pedagogies intended to maximize student learning. However, many students are unable to profit from these innovative teaching methods because teachers leave the profession or particular schools so early in their careers (Carpenter, 2006; Kardos and Johnson, 2007). Secondly, when teacher turnover is unexpectedly high, large proportions of school and district resources drain away from classroom and student learning. A pilot study by The Na- tional Commission on Teaching and America’s Future estimates that it costs approximately $13,000 to recruit, hire, and train a ‘replacement teacher’ for each one who leaves a medium sized district (Barnes et al., 2008). For a large and disproportion- ately poor district (e.g., Chicago Public Schools) the cost is close to $18,000 per teacher lost, for an total annual cost of $86 million to the district (Barnes et al., 2008, p. 3). Research suggests that, contrary to media reports, teachers are unlikely to leave teaching or specific schools due to dis- satisfaction with pay or for family reasons (e.g. pregnancy). In fact, the most frequently cited reasons for leaving include feel- ings of isolation, overwhelming expectations, and unsupportive work environments (Brooks et al., 2008; Ingersoll, 2001, 2007; Kardos and Johnson, 2007; NCTAF, 2007). In other words, the problem appears to be about the connections made (or lack thereof) at work and the workplace and not about the specific requirements of being an educator. Interestingly, Brooks et al. (2008, p. 45) find that most teachers cite alienation (a measure of ‘‘five sub-constructs: powerlessness, mean- inglessness, normlessness, isolation, and estrangement’’) as the main problem with teaching. In light of these issues, profes- sional development and teacher mentoring have been suggested as preferred approaches to increase teacher retention (NAEd, 2009). However, we believe that experimental social psychology would suggest another solution. Drawing on the af- fect theory of social exchange (Lawler, 2001), we expect that enhancing teachers’ sense of connection to their colleagues and schools should also foster commitment to work settings. In the next section we briefly introduce the affect theory, including its insight on how such attachments are formed and why they should be beneficial in schools.