/ Modified sep 3, 2024 8:47 p.m.

AZ Dept. of Education survey: teachers leaving due to low pay and student behavioral issues

The state department's survey also found that a majority agreed that they did not feel respected as K-12 teachers and felt burnt out.

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Arizona’s Department of Education found that 67% of the teachers who left the profession in 2023 cited issues with low pay while 64% cited student behavioral issues.

“This is a crisis, and it needs to be addressed immediately,” state superintendent Tom Horne said in a press release. “In short, just about any classroom teacher can tell you what they need to thrive as educators and lead students to academic excellence. Better pay and robust support from administrators on discipline are vital.”

The survey also revealed that a majority said that they did not feel respected as K-12 teachers and felt burnt out. The Arizona Department of Education’s Educator Recruitment and Retention Task Force is recommending the state focus on three key issues: teacher voice, induction with robust mentoring, and retention plans.

“If teachers truly have input into the creation of the systems, procedures, and expectations at their schools, they feel more empowered to achieve desired outcomes,” their final report said. “By ensuring that teachers participate in decision-making processes, leaders will demonstrate to teachers that their expressed opinions are being heard and that their voice matters.”

In 2023, Arizona had one of the highest rates of educators planning to leave the profession at 13%, compared to 8% nationally.

Last year, the Governor's office released a report that found the average teacher salary in Arizona is $56,775, which is nearly $10,000 below the national average. Arizona public school teachers earn, on average, about 33% less than non-teacher college graduates in the state.

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