Good Teachers Aren't Leaving Because of Bad Kids, Good Teachers are Leaving Because of Bad Principals.

As winter break comes to an end, so does a school's full staff. What was once frowned upon has now become acceptable, with some retired educators encouraging burnt-out teachers to quit mid-year and prioritize themselves; a group often called "early-quitters."  I decided to break my contract and become a statistic as one of five new teachers who quit within the first five years, with my last day with Norfolk Public Schools being January 16th. But it’s not the kids, the parents, or the pay that motivated my decision to leave; it’s the administration.

It’s no secret that the nation is facing a teaching shortage. Newly released data from the Virginia Department of Education reports a decrease in teacher vacancies; however, from my own experience, that decline is due to bodies being hired, not qualified teachers staying. Even if the claims of increasing licensure accessibility are successful, these bodies are receiving training instruction from incomplete administrative teams.

At my high school alone, we operated on an understaffed administration from August until December. Coincidentally, the absent administrator would be required to oversee the English department--my department-- where of ten teachers, three (including me) were fully licensed Virginia teachers. But, come December, what is the effectiveness of a department administrator if only one-third of the faculty is qualified? Qualifications ensure students are learning in a safe, productive environment, conducive to academic growth, by a teacher with content knowledge who uses evidence-based practices to teach a diverse group of post-pandemic learners. However, because of poor administration, the qualified teachers, aware of how an institution should be run and led, are the ones leaving. In schools where merit means little, academic environments look, sound, and feel unsuccessful. Governor-elect Abigail Spanberger campaigned on a Strengthening Virginia Schools Plan proposing to increase funding for teacher and school mentorship programs and increase pay in order to “keep our best and brightest in the classroom.” Although that plan will get bodies in the door, the definition of “best and brightest” is subjective and now filled with high rates of out-of-field and inexperienced teachers. Essentially, the efforts are not working, so a shift in approach is needed. 

Since schools have grown comfortable making exceptions for unqualified teachers to fast-track the timeline to making teaching an accessible career, the same focus should be put on making administrative requirements more accessible for qualified, licensed teachers. Right now, Virginia Law allows four different “options” for advancing to a school administration position. But since schools have replaced mandatory master's degrees (often funded by the school) with professional development points, the cost of education and the time required to complete it with increased teaching responsibilities are nearly impossible for teachers with families or single-income households. Well-qualified classroom teachers are dismissed for promotion and for much-deserved leadership positions because they lack a piece of paper.

The mass exodus isn’t because of the parents, the kids, or pay–it’s the administration lacking the leadership skills needed to support teachers and students. Morale is low, and the environment is declining because, although administration may have degrees and passed licensure tests, they are not trained as leaders. So instead of recruiting bodies and increasing funding for teacher pay and training, schools should reallocate those funds to make the administrative requirements for promotion accessible to our Miss Honey’s, Ted Laso’s, and Erin Gruwell’s to ensure that our students are receiving their right to education, and seen as a name, not just a  test number, within our schools.