Recently released numbers from the Idaho Department of Education say nearly 1,300 teachers left the profession from July 2010 through June 2011. Now, leaders on both sides of the education debate are weighing in on what the figures mean for Gem State education.
From July 2010 to June 1,276 teachers decided to put down their chalk and move on to other things. Of that number, 96 were involuntarily terminated and 85 lost their jobs as a result of reduction in force efforts. Over half left for personal reasons and the rest quit over reasons such as death, leave of absence or for family obligations to name a few.
Penni Cyr, President of the Idaho Education Association says the Students Come First laws are to blame
“We're all demoralized by the way our voices have been silenced through the collective bargaining law,” said Cyr.
From 2007 to 2010 2,300 teachers left the profession and while some blame education reform, Melissa McGrath with the Department of Education says Students Come First was designed to decrease turnover.
“We've always had a high turnover rate among teachers here in Idaho, that's one of the reasons we put Students Come First forward last year and why we're implementing pay for performance, new money for professional development and for classroom technology for teachers in the coming years,” McGrath said.
Another point of note in the numbers is how many teachers left the state to pursue education jobs in other states. That rate dropped from over 200 in 2008 to 2009 to 48 in 2010 to 2011.
“We've seen a rapid decline in the number of teachers leaving Idaho to go elsewhere,” said McGrath. “That means more teachers are choosing to stay here in Idaho, they want to teach in Idaho, and we actually think that more teachers are going to come to Idaho and stay here because of the Students Come First laws.”
But Cyr counters that they have seen a number of educators head to neighboring states for more money
“For instance Wyoming, we've had colleagues go there and increase their family income by $20,000,” Cyr said.
While the figures simply show a snapshot of statistics for the past year, it only adds to the debate that will be had this November when the referendum on the Students Come First laws hit the ballot.
Currently there are just under 19,000 teachers holding Idaho certification.
