Highlights from the TEA’s recently released Teacher Attrition Report and the Teacher Retention by Preparation Route Report:
- Total teachers — The total number of Texas teachers continued to grow, and Texas public schools now employ more than 380,000 teachers.
- Teacher attrition — The attrition rate for teachers in Texas rose this school year to an historic high of 13.44%. That is the percentage of teachers who left the profession between the fall of 2021 and the fall of 2022 (see graphic). That represents 49,782 teachers who did not return to Texas schools this school year.
- Uncertified teachers — The proportion of newly hired teachers without any type of Texas certification or permit rose during the 2022-23 school year to an historic high of 28.8 percent, a 10 percentage point increase from the previous year and a 23 percentage point increase from a decade ago.
This represents 14,682 teachers hired for this school year who lacked certification, an increase of 6,611 (82 percent) of uncertified teachers from the 8,071 uncertified teachers who were hired for the prior (2021-22) school year.
(The report omits substitute teachers from the count of noncertified hires.) - Teacher preparation route — One, three, and five year retention rates were slightly lower for all preparation routes, with traditional preparation yielding the highest retention rate and out-of-state preparation yielding the lowest retention rate.
Additional Info and Resources
The TEA also posted additional info (here) about:
- A critical subject area shortage certification exam reimbursement opportunity, and
- Support for ISDs and charters as they enter into the spring hiring season, with a set of optional guidance, tools, and other resources.
