TUCSON, ARIZ. (KGUN) — A survey by the Arizona Department of Education found that a big majority of teachers say they left the industry because of low pay and burn out. Arizona State Superintendent Tom Horne commented on the survey Tuesday, writing “This is a crisis, and it needs to be addressed immediately.”
The survey was conducted with teachers who are no longer teaching, but were teaching in 2023.
A vast majority answered that concerns about job security was not a big reason why they left the industry.
Research done by Governor Katie Hobbs office last year shows Arizona continuing to have one of the highest rates of teachers planning to leave the industry at 13%, compared to only 8% nationally.
Arizona leaders say retention plans are a big priority moving forward. One specific plan is to interview new teachers at 30, 60, and 90 days into the job to make sure feedback and any concerns are being heard early on.
In a statement from Superintendent Horne, he said in part, “I urged the passage of a bill that would require school leaders to support classroom teachers in discipline matters. Sadly, it did not get passed by the legislature and the crisis will not only persist but will get worse.”
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Athena Kehoe is a reporter for KGUN 9, she joined the KGUN 9 team in July of 2024 after graduating from the Arizona State University. Share your story ideas with Athena by emailing athena.kehoe@kgun9.com or by connecting on X/Twitter.
