An exodus of teachers could be looming — but retirement benefits offer a way to head that off, a recent report suggests.
Almost two-thirds of U.S. educators — 63% — are at least considering leaving the teaching profession, say Horace Mann National Business Solutions Executive Kelly Ruwe and Patrick Henry Downtown Academy’s Academic Instructional Coach Amber Smith in a February 2023 Horace Mann Educators Corporation report, “Checks and Balance: How Financial Stress and Heavier Workloads Are Accelerating the Teacher Shortage.”
In more detail, Ruwe and Smith report that educators say that:
- there are significant teacher shortages in their districts (30%);
- there are significant staff shortages (47%); and
- understaffing has a moderate or severe impact on students and teachers (80%).
Not only that, 30% of educators plan to leave the profession in the next three years, while 33% or more are considering doing so.
Stemming the Tide
There are some things that could ameliorate these negative feelings and risk of departure, Ruwe and Smith report. Among them is improving retirement benefits, cited by 29% of the teachers surveyed. Other changes that could help include:
- a better salary (57%)
- better parent and community support (42%)
- more supportive school or district leadership (41%)
- smaller class sizes (36%)
- safer work environment (35%)
- feeling more financially secure (27%)
- better healthcare and protection benefits (25%)
“Administrators are facing numerous challenges and pressures as well; while a higher salary can be a difficult item to provide, there are other solutions administrators can offer,” said Ruwe in a press release. “School districts can do more to provide financial wellness resources and support,” Ruwe continued, adding that among the steps they can take is enhancing benefits and expanding coverage.
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