HARRISBURG (AP) – Teachers are leaving jobs in growing numbers, according to state reports. The turnover in some cases is highest among teachers of color. A major culprit is stress – from pandemic-era burnout, low pay, and the intrusion of politics into classrooms. But the burdens can be heavier in schools serving high-poverty communities that also have higher numbers of teachers of color. In PA, black teachers were more than twice as likely to leave the profession as white teachers after the 2021-22 school year, according to a data analysis by Dr. Ed Fuller, an education professor at Penn State. Hispanic and multi-racial teachers had a similar ratio, of around twice as likely. Fuller said, “Black and Hispanic teachers are more likely to be uncertified or teaching in an underfunded district, all of which is associated with someone leaving the profession at a higher rate. They’re in more precarious teaching positions, meaning you’re in a position with less resources and worse working conditions, so you’re more likely to quit no matter who you are.” Nationally, about 80% of American public school teachers are white, even though white students no longer represent a majority in public schools.
DR. ED FULLER
