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New McKinsey research shows that nearly a third of US K–12 educators are thinking of leaving their jobs. But there are steps districts could take to attract and retain the teachers the nation needs.
K–12 schools in the United States are finding it increasingly difficult to retain teachers, with potentially far-reaching ramifications for society. Over the past decade, the annual teacher turnover rate has hovered around 8 percent nationally and is more than double that for schools designated for Title 1 funding. By comparison, the annual turnover rate in high-performing jurisdictions, such as Finland, Ontario, and Singapore, is approximately 3 to 4 percent.
To better understand what spurs voluntary attrition and other shifts in the K–12 workforce, we surveyed more than 1,800 educators between February 2022 and May 2022, including teachers, mental-health service providers, and school leaders. Our survey respondents came from elementary, middle, and high schools in urban, suburban, and rural locations and serve public, charter, and private (religious and nonreligious) schools. This research was done in conjunction with the broader Great Attrition, Great Attraction Survey of more than 13,000 employees across 16 industries.
When school districts can’t attract and retain enough teachers, students suffer. And the COVID-19 pandemic has only compounded the nation’s education talent challenges. To improve our understanding of what makes K–12 teachers want to stay, leave, or return to their jobs, McKinsey surveyed more than 1,800 US educators, school leaders, and school mental health professionals at the end of the 2021–22 school year (see sidebar “About the research”). Approximately one-third of respondents said they planned to leave their role before the next school year began. That equates to roughly 900,000 teachers across the nation. Our research also revealed that this pending turnover could further exacerbate inequality, hampering efforts to create more resilient and equitable K–12 education systems. While this stated intention to leave has historically not panned out, it suggests an unhealthiness to the profession that administrators should be mindful of.
There is no easy fix for lowering teacher turnover rates. Indeed, a deeper inspection of the data reveals significant nuances in what motivates educators to stay or leave. For example, our research found that more than half of teachers say that compensation is driving them out the door, while...