Why are teachers leaving their jobs after the pandemic?

According to the U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), there were approximately 10.6 million educators working in public education in January 2020; today there are just 10.0 million, a worrying net loss of around 600,000, which continues to get worse.

Sobia Sheikh, a high school math teacher in Everett, Washington, says she regularly begins her mornings reading emails from school officials requesting her to fill in for colleagues who are absent. (Source: nea.org)

"I always want to be there for my colleagues," she says. "But it is emotionally and mentally exhausting...We’re in survival mode from last year. We're fighting to make it through the year, through the month, through the week— for some of us just through the day. The pressure can be overwhelming."

Like Sobia, there are multiple testimonials that disclose how unnerving it has been living through a long season full of irregularities and stressful challenges within the educational sector during the pandemic. 

According to a National Education Association (NEA) survey, 55% of educators are thinking of leaving their profession earlier than they had planned. 

A gap in resources and representation

The survey also found that a significant amount of Black (62%) and Hispanic/Latino (59%) educators (who are underrepresented in the teaching profession) were seriously thinking about dropping out. 

Studies have shown that teachers of color improve educational outcomes for students of the same background. However, Black and Hispanic teachers tend to have shorter teaching careers than their white colleagues, according to a report by the U.S. Department of Education, which cites a lack of support and poor working conditions as the impetus for early departures. 

Furthermore, online learning has been tougher for resourced-deprived students, adding up difficulties for their teachers. In July 2020, the University of Southern California and Partnership for Los Angeles Schools surveyed more than 1,100 Los Angeles Unified School District families whose children attend historically low-income public schools and found that about 1 in 6 had no internet access at all and nearly 1 in 12 had mobile internet only. Additionally, 1 in 7 said they never had a space free of noise or distraction.

Learn more about our STEM programs for teachers

What are the most common causes for leaving?

COVID came as a worldwide unexpected event and without a doubt brought up several issues around the world. 

It is natural that a problem tends to create even more challenges if this is not addressed with an adequate solution. 

Many teachers say they are so burned out by the pandemic, overworked because of staff shortages, worried about their own health, and fed up with low pay and a lack of respect that they are ready to quit. 

Kayla Bryant, a former fourth-grade teacher from Sacramento, said the expectations for teachers were so high and the support so low, that she couldn't speak about work without crying. (Source: businessinsider.com)

The educational sector was one of the most vulnerable because it has been neglected in many aspects for many years before the pandemic came along. 

Answers from teachers reveal a profession harmed by burnout and feelings of being overwhelmed by expectations. Upset parents or political pressures bearing down on the profession were cited by a few as well.

Educator shortages that predate the pandemic have increased from 2019-2022 and now include other roles such as bus drivers, school nurses, and food service workers.

Teachers are starting to see their former colleagues pivot to different careers in project management, professional development, curriculum writing, or sales and get higher pay or a better work-life balance.

In fact, some teachers have revealed they feel happier now than when they were in a classroom.

How does this issue affect students' learning?

The harmful effects of teacher turnover — which also impact students whose teachers stay on staff — may be largely driven by educators who leave midyear, especially during contingency times.

In North Carolina, around one-fourth of the state’s total teacher turnover happened midyear 2021. Oftentimes, this took place in middle and high schools; schools serving larger numbers of lower-income students or students of color. As a result, students saw lower math and English scores, as well as higher drop-out rates.

COVID-19 not only exacerbated the socioeconomic health care gaps that exist in many parts of the world but also highlighted the opportunity and enrichment gaps that exist between student populations. Thus, low-income students were less likely to be equipped with the conditions and resources that were necessary for them to succeed. These gaps, therefore, put low-income students even farther behind relative to their better-off peers.

These opportunity gaps ultimately led to the “digital divide,” which refers to the fact that some children do not have access to the devices and internet services that are needed for online learning. In addition to not having the tools for online learning themselves, many schools lack the training to be proficient in digital software applications and instruction using computers.

STEM education as an alternative to address social issues 

An ongoing shortage of graduates in STEM fields and STEM-related areas combined with marginal increases in funding for public institutions of higher education for research and development that support the related majors in recent years paints a dire picture for the future of the U.S. workforce. These issues affect essential industries that shape the future of worldwide markets and trade collaborations, manufacturing, and innovation. 

STEM education should not be exclusive to those after a degree in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics, but rather inclusive to all given the importance and need of STEM in our daily activities, actions, and decisions. 

Just as everyone should know the basics of financial management to make intelligent financial decisions and civics to understand the political and governmental process in our society, we should all have a solid foundation and understanding of STEM. 

As a society, we rely on science and technology for most of today’s comforts and necessities. Life-saving and life-prolonging medicines, communication technologies, modes of transportation, energy-efficient building materials, and early severe weather warning systems are just a few examples of STEM inventions with a global effect. 

Today, more than ever, the future depends on STEM disciplines to support health, economic advancement, and equality for diverse populations.

How can STEM education help teachers and students cope with future challenges? 

Teachers tend to play a strong influence on a student’s choice of subject matter or their decision to pursue a STEM career. 

The evidence from the ICM-S survey signals that students’ decisions to study STEM in college can be directly influenced by classroom instruction and teacher advice.

Unfortunately, according to this study undertaken by the Institute of Engineering and Technology: “Most students see the curriculum as boring and irrelevant to life outside school.” The good news is that studies show that “practical activities enable students to build a bridge between what they can see and handle and scientific ideas that account for their observations.”

For instance, The NextWaveSTEM® Programs are designed to urge students to think about practical and real-life cases where they can apply sound knowledge, use cutting-edge technology, and thus realize the actual impact they have on the planet.  

Children may not understand the relevance of science because they cannot observe the connection between what they learn in the classroom and the actual facts in the real world. Students also have been known to perceive science subjects as being too complicated or too dull. 

Many teachers struggle with a huge workload, which does not give them much time or energy to plan STEM lessons. 

Taking the first step might seem and feel uncertain; however, this doesn't have to be an issue anymore, as our NWS® instructors can teach STEM ANYWHERE—in-person or virtual, ANYTIME—during or after school. Whether your school is facing a teacher shortage or you simply want to add more support for your current faculty, it’s a great solution for enrichment and meeting regional and nationwide STEM goals.

For science and math teachers who just need some extra support to keep going, our All-In-One-Solution provides STEM Equipment Kits, Curriculum and Learning Management System Access, Professional Development, and Student Connection Materials.

Teachers who are preparing for the future increase their chances to succeed and stand out from the ones who are still in doubt. We can help! 

How can STEM education benefit teachers that are planning to leave?

Like never before, today’s technology and engineering educators have an opportunity to play a lead role in transforming the K-12 classroom. However, the window of opportunity for their discipline to respond as leaders in transforming the school experience is getting smaller. It is critical that technology and engineering educators nationwide respond in a timely and effective manner. 

STEM education has proven to help shape a wider consciousness among teachers about the global social issues and how they have a huge influence for students to start a STEM career where they could make a difference to help their communities and, consequently, their nations by means of STEM innovation.

Technology and engineering teachers can improve student learning and spark and stimulate interest in learning science, engineering, and other STEM-related subjects through the use of projects via hands-on STEM education. The sharing of technology and science education practices and ideas is essential to all educators creating our future today.

We understand the tough situation that thousands of educators have been going through during the recent crisis. 

But by learning from past decades of experience, we have learned that resilience and perseverance are friendly allies even in the worst moments of hardship. 

STEM education offers teachers the opportunity to analyze and develop questions to find answers. This approach to education does not require expensive equipment or facilities; however, it does provide learners the opportunity to improve their knowledge of analysis and problem solving. In fact, STEM activities can be introduced into the classroom with very little expense. Many elementary school teachers are using recyclables or inexpensive or scrap materials for creative STEM activities. Awesome!

A great opportunity 

Educators and learning institutions that have seen this recent change as an opportunity for growth and exploration are those that have been able to best meet the current and future needs of students.

While technological innovation in education was always going to happen, the pandemic truly sped up the inevitable – demanding both an acceptance of this requirement and adaptation to digital barriers on a timeline much more expedited than it ever would have normally been.

The recent changes in modern learning have led teachers to embrace technology in ways that they may have never experienced before, just as it has demanded a new degree of focus and effort from students forced to continue their studies in a more technological environment. 

The opportunities presented in the wake of COVID-19 have pushed for the establishment of this mode of educational instruction as a feasible option for far more students than before, and the acceleration of new technologies will have enormous benefits for both teachers and students in the years to come.

COVID-19 has proven to be a catalyst for what was almost certainly an inevitable change toward the increased attractiveness of the STEM world. 

As educators adjust their approaches and students hone valuable skills, the sector is preparing for a new normal and benefiting from the innovation that has inspired many industries, especially those who heavily rely on STEM resources.

In the meantime, a good number of challenges remain on the horizon (such as tackling issues of accessibility and equity in a technology-dependent future). Professional teachers at every level can address these challenges with clearer vision, greater confidence, and strong support from the STEM world.

Although we know that education as a whole is facing a teacher shortage challenge, we truly believe this is a great opportunity to rethink the way we learn and teach. 

Thank you and see you next time!