Michigan Teachers Poll: Considering Leaving
A poll finds 56% of Michigan teachers may leave teaching in five years, 25% plan to exit within a year, citing pay, training and workload.
A new poll released Tuesday found that 56% of Michigan teachers are considering leaving the profession within the next five years. The survey, conducted from May 29 to June 30, included a representative sample of 300 teachers and has a margin of error of plus or minus 5.7 percentage points.
It was commissioned by the Michigan Educator Workforce Initiative and conducted by Impact Research with assistance from UpONE Insights. The results come as teachers face increasing pressure from student performance trends and new state mandates on reading instruction methods.
Respondents cited inadequate compensation, insufficient training for new teachers, and barriers to classroom innovation as reasons they are considering leaving. Compensation was one of the biggest factors, with the issue being more acute among newer teachers who feel less fairly compensated than their more experienced peers.
The poll also revealed that 25% of Michigan teachers say they are strongly considering leaving the profession within the next 12 months. If these results bear out, they could worsen existing teacher shortages, particularly in hard-to-staff areas such as special education.
Additional findings show that 46% of teachers strongly agreed they frequently feel expected to be 'all things to all people at all times' in their current role. Meanwhile, 54% strongly agreed that their school is a great place to be a teacher, and 48% strongly agreed that Michigan is a great place to be a teacher.
Only 32% of teachers strongly agreed they feel fairly compensated for their work, while 39% strongly agreed they have access to rigorous, standards-aligned curriculum and instructional materials for the subjects and grades they teach.
Jack Elsey, CEO and founder of the Michigan Educator Workforce Initiative, said during a media roundtable that policymakers should listen to teachers’ concerns to address the workforce challenge. CJ Walker, a teacher at Concord Community Schools, said in a news release that reversing the retention crisis requires valuing teachers through both compensation and support.
Brian Stryker, managing partner at Impact Research, noted that the consideration to leave spans teachers of all ages and career stages, including newer teachers, mid-career educators, and those across elementary, middle, and high school levels.
The Michigan Educator Workforce Initiative focuses on addressing the state’s teacher pipeline challenges, and Elsey said the poll indicates progress has been made in recent years but more work is needed to improve the workforce experience.
fixtures and squad are resources that districts may consult when planning staffing responses to such workforce trends, though the poll did not specify how many teachers are actively seeking new positions versus considering exit from the profession entirely.
