According to a report just released by the National Commission on Teaching and America’s Future (NCTAF), U.S. schools are about to be hit by the largest teacher retirement wave in history.
The commission claims that more than 50 percent of the nation’s teachers and principals are Baby Boomers. During the next four years, the United States could lose a third of its most accomplished educators to retirement. The wave of departures will peak during the 2010-11 school year, when more than 100,000 veteran teachers could leave. In less than a decade, more than half of today’s teachers – 1.7 million – could be gone.
The NCTAF further claims that over a third of the nation’s new teachers leave the profession within three years. In some school districts, half of the new hires are replaced every five years. The schools in these districts struggle to close the student achievement gap because precious resources and time are consumed by constant efforts to rebuild their staff.
To view the complete report, click here.