PHOENIX – A new report released today by Arizona State University’s Morrison Institute for Public Policy details Arizona’s teacher crisis in terms of recruitment, retention and pay, which is at or near the bottom of salaries for the profession.
Finding & Keeping Educators for Arizona’s Classrooms frames the state’s teacher shortage by noting that more teachers are leaving the profession annually than bachelor of education degrees are being produced by the three universities. The problem is compounded by an exodus of instructors for reasons ranging from retirement to poor salaries.
The 44-page report was released Wednesday and is posted on the Morrison Institute for Public Policy website: MorrisonInstitute.asu.edu
“There continues to be much discussion regarding quality education in Arizona, and that goal often begins and ends with quality teachers in the classroom,” said Thom Reilly, director of Morrison Institute, an Arizona State University public policy center. “This report looks at the status of the teaching profession from many angles to help further the discussion and resolution from a fact- and evidence-based perspective.”
Among the key findings in the report:
– 42 percent of Arizona teachers hired in 2013 left the profession within three years.
– 74 percent of Arizona school administrators surveyed said their campuses are experiencing a shortage of teachers.
– When adjusted for cost-of-living, Arizona elementary school teacher pay is the lowest in the nation. High school teacher pay ranks 48th of the 50 states.
The report includes extensive data provided by the Arizona Department of Education, as well as federal data on labor markets and educational statistics and Morrison Institute’s exclusive survey of teachers from throughout Arizona. Senior Policy Analyst Dan Hunting was the principal researcher.
The project was funded by the Arizona Community Foundation, Helios Education Foundation and The Pike and Susan Sullivan Foundation.
Morrison Institute for Public Policy, Arizona’s premier think tank, was established in 1982. An Arizona State University resource, Morrison Institute utilizes nonpartisan research, analysis, polling and public dialogue to examine critical state and regional issues. Morrison Institute provides data- and evidence-based review to help improve the state and region’s quality of life. Morrison Institute is part of the ASU College of Public Service and Community Solutions.
