Why are teachers leaving the classroom?

Data Source: Tennessee Educator Survey, 2015–2019

While sitting in an International Finance class, a student hears the professor state, “When you have an issue you believe may be systemic, analyze it on a local level before you take a look at the national or global level.” Essentially the professor provides students with a valuable lesson in sampling population statistics to gain information about a whole population.

School districts nationwide report a shortage of teachers at every level, especially in maths and sciences. The question is, why?

Let us find out what educators in one state are saying about their working environment. This may help us understand why highly qualified teachers nationwide decide to switch schools frequently or leave the classroom altogether.

At the end of each school year, the State of Tennessee asks every licensed Tennessee educator to complete a survey relating to their working environment. The questions ask about interactions with students, peers, and leadership, as well as policy, professional development, evaluation, and curriculum and materials.

The graphs shown below tell an interesting story.

Because graph A.1 paints such a rosy picture of Tennessee educators’ feelings about their…