Poster #144 - Why Teachers Stay: What Florida Districts with Low Turnover Have in Common

• In Event: Saturday Poster Luncheon

Abstract

Talented teachers are leaving our classrooms in high numbers. In Florida, more than 4,000 teaching positions were open at the start of the 2023 school year (Florida Education Association, 2023). Research shows that there are several factors—like pay, leadership support, classroom behavior challenges, and staffing levels— that play a big role in whether teachers stay or leave (Carver-Thomas & Darling-Hammond, 2017; Ingersoll et al., 2021).

Some districts in Florida are doing much better than others at keeping their teachers. This project looks at what those districts are doing differently, using publicly available data to identify patterns. The goal is to provide practical, data-based insights for school and district leaders who want to improve teacher retention.

Purpose/Research Question

This study asks: What sets Florida’s low-turnover school districts apart from those where teachers leave more often? I look at five key areas:

• Teacher pay


• Student behavior challenges


• Number of uncertified teachers


• Student-to-teacher ratios


• Geography of school

Methods

I selected five Florida districts (St. Johns County, Sarasota County, Collier County, Seminole County, and Leon County) with high teacher retention and five with low retention (Martin County, Hillsborough County, Palm Beach County, Pinellas County, and Duval County) using available state reports and public data. For each district, I collected:

• Median teacher salaries and salary growth potential


• Student suspension rates and percent of uncertified teachers


• Student-teacher ratios


• Location data

I used basic comparison charts and summary statistics to explore how these factors differ across the ten districts.

Early Findings

So far, the data show that:

• Districts with high turnover had salaries/pay that varied, but they had a high number of suspensions and a low number of certified teachers.


• Low-turnover districts either had higher pay or were in areas where the dollar stretched further, and they had lower suspension rates.


• Low-turnover districts also were located in similar geographic areas (suburban) in areas with higher median incomes.

This supports previous research suggesting that improving the day-to-day experience of teachers—such as creating safe, well-managed classrooms and hiring qualified colleagues—may matter just as much, if not more, than salary alone (Kraft et al., 2016; Boyd et al., 2011).

Conclusion/Implications

This study highlights some key differences between districts that are holding onto teachers and those that aren’t. While pay is important, teachers are also looking for strong leadership, good working conditions, and support in managing behavior. Policymakers and school leaders hoping to reduce turnover should pay attention to these areas—not just salaries.

These early findings offer a starting point for districts that want to improve teacher retention in sustainable, practical ways. By using public data and focusing on what’s already working in parts of Florida, this study contributes to APPAM’s 2025 theme of forging collaborations for transformative and resilient policy solutions.

Author

• Eva Chiang, Southern Methodist University
  Presenting Author