WORKFORCE ATTRITION
While Texas has increased its total number of teachers in each of the last 15 years, the state lost more teachers after the 2020-21 school year than in any of the previous years. SOURCES: TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY, HUMBLE ISD, NEW CANEY ISD COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER
TEACHERS EMPLOYED LOCALLY
Teachers who left the profession
Total teachers statewide
From 2016-17 to 2020-21, the total number of teachers employed by New Caney ISD increased by 9.83%.
357,515
36,909
2016-17
2016-17 2020-21
956 1,050
358,913
2017-18
37,300
+9.83%
363,526
2018-19
36,473
From 2016-17 to 2020-21, the total number of teachers employed by Humble ISD increased by 16.61%.
370,297
2019-20
33,949
2016-17 2020-21
2,679
+16.61%
370,431
2020-21
42,839
3,124
-100K
0
100K
200K
300K
400K
ALTERNATIVE VS. STANDARD CERTIFICATIONS Of the roughly 24,000 educators who received their initial teaching certi cations in the 2015-16 school year, 62.1% remained in the profession after ve years.
Alternative certi cations Texas is home to 129 educa- tor preparation programs, includ- ing standard programs, which are typically o ered by universities; post-baccalaureate programs and alternative certi cation programs. In the 2020-21 school year, nearly 50% of teachers received their certi- cation through an alternative pro- gram, according to TEA data. Alternative certi cation programs, such as iteachTEXAS and Teach for America, provide a nontraditional, typically less expensive route for those who did not go through stan- dard programs to obtain a teaching certi cate, according to the TEA. TEA data shows roughly 60% of educators who went through alter- native certi cation programs in the 2015-16 school year remained in the profession after ve years. This com- pares to roughly 70% of standard cer- ti ed teachers who remained in the classroom after ve years. Amber Thompson, director of edu- cation for the University of Hous- ton’s College of Education, said some alternative certi cation programs are conducted online and do not always require in-person classroom training. “In order to be able [to teach] well and be prepared for it, you have to spend time working alongside a men- tor teacher,” Thompson said, noting she believes state legislators should revisit the requirements for alterna- tive certi cation programs to require more clinical training. However, CaLandra Pervis, chair for Lone Star College-Kingwood’s education department, said many alternative certi cation programs, including the program o ered at LSC Kingwood, require as much or
conducted by the Charles Butt Foun- dation, a statewide nonpro t that aims to promote educational equity, 68% said they seriously considered leaving the profession in 2021—a 10% increase from 2020. Popinski said much of that increase can be attributed to the social and emotional toll taken on by teachers while providing remote instruction during the pandemic. “After COVID[-19], not only are [teachers] looking after the social and emotional needs of 5.4 million kids in the state, but they also have their own social and emotional needs,” he said. According to the poll, 77% of the teachers who considered leaving the profession cited supporting students’ well-being as a factor. Adam Gorelick, who taught high school math in both New Caney and Spring ISDs before leaving the profes- sion earlier this year, said he was often made to feel as if he was responsible for his students’ emotional needs. “It was bad before the pandemic, but then the pandemic made it unbe- lievably horrible,” he said. “If a kid has social and emotional problems, … they have people who are licensed professionals for that—not teachers.” Ti any Needham, executive direc- tor of the Houston branch of Teach for America, said she believes school dis- tricts need to better manage teachers’ time and resources. “When you’re teaching six periods a day with a 40-minute break and then during that 40-minute break, you have to use the restroom, plan your lessons for the week [and] collabo- rate with your other teachers, it just doesn’t really work,” Needham said. “We wouldn’t really expect that from most other professionals.”
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“When the purchasing power for a teacher … is less than it was 10 years ago by $1,000 or so, that creates a problem when you have other oppor- tunities, so teachers are considering other professions,” Popinski said. Going into the 2021-22 school year, New Caney ISD needed to hire an additional 180 teachers to meet the needs of its students, according to Trina Persson, the district’s director of recruitment and retention. “We started seeing changes in the job market ... two years ago, and I thought, ‘Oh this is never going to reach education,’” Persson said. “Boy was I surprised when I started seeing the numbers at job fairs ... beginning to decline.” Meanwhile, Humble ISD had roughly 60 teaching positions that went un lled in the 2021-22 school year due to a lack of quali ed candi- dates, HISD Chief Communications O cer Jamie Mount said. While local educators said the issue has been exacerbated by the pan- demic, the state’s teacher shortage existed beforehand. From 2010-19, the number of teachers initially certi ed— which does not include new certi ca- tions for teachers who already hold a teaching license—fell by about 20%, according to a 2021 University of Hous- ton teacher workforce report. Local experts said the issue can be attributed, in part, to low pay, but they also said some alternative certi- cation programs and work-related stresses have also played a role in the declining workforce. Teacher burnout In a 2021 poll of 919 Texas teachers
Teacher tenure
Alternative certi cations:
awarded to a person who has not obtained an education degree
2016-17 89.5% 2017-18 80.8% 2018-19 73%
2019-20 65.7% 2020-21 60.3%
Standard certi cations:
awarded after a person has obtained an education degree
2016-17 93.3% 2017-18 87% 2018-19 81.2%
2019-20 75.5% 2020-21 70.2%
Total certi cations*:
2016-17 90.2% 2017-18 81.8% 2018-19 74.5%
2019-20 67.6% 2020-21 62.1%
Certi cations breakdown
Initial certi cations awarded in 2015-16
Alternative: 11,077
Standard: 8,463
Total: 23,984*
*This total also includes postbaccalaureate certi cations as well as certi cations obtained in other states.
SOURCE: TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER
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COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER • COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM
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