Poster #101 - Teacher attrition amid geographical, societal, and economic realities: Fifteen years of the Kansas teacher workforce

• In Event: Friday Poster Reception

Abstract

Leveraging Kansas administrative data, a state with a unique mixture of urban-rural dynamics and industrial characteristics, I examine mobility patterns of the state’s public-school teachers from 2010 through 2024. I find 16% of Kansas teachers turned over during the past 15 years, with attrition substantially increasing since COVID-19, reaching nearly 20% in 2022-2023. Unlike evidence at the national level (Taie & Lewis, 2023), where roughly equal shares of turned over teachers either switch schools or leave the profession entirely, the majority of teacher turnover in Kansas consists of teachers exiting the state’s public school system.

Examining turnover by teacher, school, and student context, I find teachers in city schools are significantly more likely to exit school systems compared to their colleagues in other locales, even after controlling for the district’s relative urbanicity with data on community services, amenities, and infrastructure, and other covariates. This is potentially linked to the state’s urban-rural dynamics and industrial roots. Moreover, I find teachers serving the most marginalized and impoverished student populations face the highest risks of turnover, including turnover by switching to another school within the same district. This suggests potential disparities in teacher working conditions even at the district level. Furthermore, STEM and SPED/ESOL teachers are significantly more likely to depart compared to teachers of other disciplines. Most notably, while compensation is significantly associated with reductions in turnover across subjects, the relationship is most pronounced among STEM and SPED/ESOL teachers. My estimates show the marginal associations between total salary and turnover among STEM and SPED/ESOL teachers are roughly twice in magnitude compared to that of elementary school teachers.

Overall, I make contributions to policymaking in several ways. First, I inform state and district leaders with evidence on the extent of Kansas teacher attrition over the past 15 years, with an emphasis on turnover increases post-COVID-19. Second, I show that turnover in the workforce significantly differs by teacher, school, and student context, emphasizing the need for localized policy considerations. I also demonstrate that financial incentives may be differentially linked to attrition among teachers of different disciplines. These insights provide critical information for Kansas policymakers to consider tailoring their existing teacher incentive programs, and/or creating new programs that are sensitive to local circumstances. Furthermore, as nearby states with similar characteristics have considered differential pay policies (e.g., Missouri), while others adopted it with some positive impacts (e.g., Bruno & Sass, 2019), Kansas can leverage my findings to develop long-term salary change strategies, such as via prioritizing hard-to-staff schools and student contexts or subject areas with the most pronounced staffing challenges.

From a broader perspective, my research draws attention to an often-overlooked context in the U.S. Midwest, contributing to the collective understanding of teacher workforce dynamics, especially mobility. This study is intended to lay the groundwork for future research and policy development aimed at sustaining the teacher workforce, providing diverse students with equitable access to diverse, qualified, and retained teachers.

Author

• Chanh Bao Lam, Kansas State University
  Presenting Author