WCPSS concerned about teacher retention

Grace Fendrick
Staff Writer

Wake County Public School System has had an “alarming” increase in teacher resignations this year. Out of the 9,000 public school teachers in the county 612 have left midyear, causing a 41% increase from last year. This is the largest teacher turnover rate in five years, and this is especially concerning due to the fact that trends show the most resignations occur in the months of June and July, meaning that the peak of the problem may not have even hit yet. “While these figures are alarming, they are not surprising. Given the flat pay scale over the past few years, the recent legislated removal of both career status and higher pay for teachers with graduate degrees, increased teacher turnover has been expected,” WCPSS Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources Doug Thilman said in a news conference April 17. While there were many reasons for teachers’ departures most say their decisions were impacted greatly by the lack of a raise since 2008.

North Carolina ranks 46 out of the 50 states in average teacher pay. Neighboring states have even begun recruitment efforts in N.C. Apex High School’s very own physical education teachers Britt and Tracy Morton are relocating to Georgia to teach and coach at Hampton High School; they will also be physical education department heads. Together they have a combined 33 years of teaching. Despite having five side jobs between the couple, they still cannot make ends meet. Two of Britt Morton’s jobs include coaching the football and wrestling team, but coaches have not gotten a pay raise since 1987. Apex High graduate, class of 1991, Britt Morton said, “Making the decision, letting the kids down, coaches down, Mr. Wight down, the wrestling and football teams down... [It was] tremendously hard… Our plan was to retire here, but because of pay we are not able to make a good life.”

Teachers are leaving, and for many it involves leaving their passion, teaching. These teachers are forced to leave for the well being of themselves and their family. “Good teachers are having to make hard decisions to leave our classrooms for a better future somewhere else or in another line of work, in another profession – not in our public schools and not in our state,” said Thilman. This is devastating not only for school faculty and students, but for the future of America. There will be fewer and fewer veteran teachers, especially once the baby-boomers begin to retire. This may result in a lower quality of teaching. Despite what some may say, this is not a partisan issue. “[It is] about two groups coming together for the greater good,” says Tracy Morton. The low salary and lack of respect from the state is turning current teachers away from the profession, and is also deterring future college students from declaring a major in education. North Carolina State's Assistant Dean for Professional Education Michael Maher explains at the press conference, saying, “In the N.C. State College of Education, we are going to see between an 18 and 20 percent reduction in students entering teacher education next year, and this is on the heels of a year where we saw a reduction the prior year.” If students pursue education they will eventually move out-of-state, he added. Due to the proposed increase in beginning teachers’ salaries, North Carolina’s education system could become a transient profession. Governor Pat McCrory recognizes that retaining and recruiting quality educators will be a problem for N.C. if salary is not addressed. On May 7, 2014 McCrory outlined his long term plan, which he called “Career Pathways for Teachers.” Throughout his speech he spoke of a proposal to raise all teachers’ salaries, and to reward experience and performance.

Teachers are calling to regional and state leaders for professional treatment. Britt Morton perhaps put it best; “We [teachers] have had enough…We deserve to be paid as professionals.”