Originally Posted on July 3, 2023

The following is an excerpt from an education assignment I completed during certification.

The Issue at Hand
After one year of virtual learning, both students and teachers were able to return to the classrooms. I was one of two 7th grade teachers in the school I was assigned. One month after classes began, the other teacher left, leaving me as the sole RELA teacher for 7th grade and two class sections without an instructor. This problem is consistent in the state of Maryland, which includes Prince George’s County Schools. It is this lack of teacher retention that negatively affects student learning.
During the 2020 pandemic, the United States experienced an alarming number of layoffs and turnovers. Many citizens were either forced to quit their jobs due to companies cutting costs, or left on their own accord in order to find better opportunities. This is no more apparent than in the field of education. Teachers quit–at times with little to no notice–with insufficient means of replacing them. In 2020, the state of Maryland saw only a 4% decrease in “teacher attrition.” (Choudhry, 2022) This is to say that the number of individuals in a teaching position went down significantly. 10% of teachers in the state did not return to their jobs in 2022, with Prince George’s County Public Schools displaying similar numbers. (Choudhry, 2022) Teacher retention is an issue that has lasted long before the pandemic, but was brought into light given the circumstances.

The Impact of Teacher Retention on Students
Because teaching positions were not filled, students suffered as they were deprived of a quality learning experience. On average, at least 25% of students in Prince George’s County were scoring below average in benchmark tests in 2021. (Asbury, 2022) Similar numbers were reported in multiple subjects; students seem to struggle most with math, as about 53% of students scored “below expectations” in standardized testing. (Garbick, 2022) Aside from testing, students’ grades took a hit from lack of understanding material. Many of them were without a teacher for one or more years, thus were not able to learn and develop already-present skills and knowledge.
From experience, teachers have also been pulled from their own planning periods to look after classes that did not have teachers. I took part in this, sacrificing crucial preparation time to, for lack of a better term, “babysit” students who were given simple worksheets and vague instruction. Pressure was put on remaining teachers to either take in more students or dedicate their time to the students who were left behind. Burnout was a common feeling between teachers who juggled so many responsibilities, and the salary they received no longer felt worth it. (WTOP, 2022)

Why Teachers are Not Kept
There are many hypotheses that can explain why these statistics exist for teacher retention. For example, it is possible that salaries are a factor; the amount of money teachers are paid may not reflect the effort that teachers put into maintaining their classrooms. (Leowus, 2021) The teachers are “overworked and underpaid”, which is a constant concern across the nation. (Wong, 2022) There was no explicit compensation for taking on extra responsibilities–as is the norm in present-day Prince George’s County–so teachers were not given incentive to return to classrooms.
The working conditions are also a factor, as teachers have often complained about lack of supplies (or, rather, having to buy their own), rowdy students, etc. High-poverty schools are seeing this the most, as there may not be enough funding to pay teachers properly and provide the necessary resources. (Garcia, 2019) Another mentions the health and safety concerns teachers have, whether it is the stress of dealing with the students or working past school hours to grade papers, make meetings, and ensure that the classroom is ready to serve the students. Especially during the pandemic, teachers risked getting sick (and getting others sick), bodily harm from retaliating students, and unhealthy work environments in general. (Leowus, 2021; Wong, 2022)

Works Cited/Further Reading
Choudhry, M. (2022). Maryland’s Teacher Workforce: Supply, Demand, and Diversity. https://www.marylandpublicschools.org/stateboard/Documents/2022/0726/TabGBlueprintAndDataDeepDiveTeacherPipelineAndDiversity.pdf
Asbury, N. (2022, September 9). Most Prince George’s students scoring below grade level on district tests. Washington Post; The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2022/09/09/prince-georges-schools-test-scores/
Garbick, H. (2022, September 11). Many PGCPS students marked “below expectations” on standardized English, math tests. WTOP News. https://wtop.com/education/2022/09/many-pgcps-students-marked-below-expectations-on-standardized-english-math-tests/
WTOP. (2022, February 19). Burnout, Stress Affecting Most Maryland Teachers, Poll Finds. Maryland Matters. https://www.marylandmatters.org/2022/02/19/burnout-stress-affecting-most-maryland-teachers-poll-finds/
Loewus, L. (2021, May 4). Why teachers leave—or don’t: A look at the numbers. Education Week. https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/why-teachers-leave-or-dont-a-look-at-the-numbers/2021/05
Wong, A. (2022, December 21). Overworked, underpaid? The toll of burnout is contributing to teacher shortages nationwide. USA TODAY. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/education/2022/12/21/why-there-teacher-shortage-schools-struggled-nationwide-2022/10882103002/