Philadelphia teachers cite stress and student behavior as reasons to leave

November 13, 2019

Most Philadelphia teachers have considered leaving the classroom in the last two years, according to a survey from NBC 10 Philadelphia.

The results shouldn’t be a surprise, says Richard Ingersoll, Penn GSE’s education policy professor who is recognized as the leading expert on the teaching workforce. 

Richard M. Ingersoll, Penn GSE
Dr. Richard Ingersoll

But, according to Ingersoll, the results say as much about the profession as they do about Philadelphia.

“It’s not that we produce too few teachers,” Ingersoll told NBC 10. “It’s that we lose too many.”

Over 500 teachers responded to a survey from NBC Philadelphia, sharing that their biggest challenges are stress, student behavior, and pay. Several teachers spoke on the record anonymously, citing pressure to “teach to the test” and sharing that they are or may have to consider leaving.

Those results track with Ingersoll’s groundbreaking research on the teacher education workforce.

 

Watch NBC 10’s coverage here.