Tennessee’s fast-growing counties need more teachers every year. But if trends continue, in several years there may not be enough teachers to staff schools at current levels, much less handle growth.
Dr. Earl Wiman is the president of the Tennessee Education Association. He says about 10-percent of the state’s 65-thousand teachers have taught in Tennessee for thirty years, making them eligible to retire with full benefits. Another 10-percent will become eligible over the next five years. And Wiman says early retirement is increasingly common.
“We’re finding more and more people who just are leaving the profession. You know, they have 25 years, 26, 27 years-they’re just through for lots of different reasons.”
Not only are new educators needed to fill the vacancies, Wiman says renewed efforts are needed to keep them. An estimated 40-percent of teachers quit the profession in the first five years. Wiman says better mentoring programs and careful use of alternative licensing can help. And he says new teachers are increasingly savvy about benefits and pay. For that reason, he feels attractive compensation packages are key to both hiring and retaining teachers.
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