South Carolina teachers care more about school culture than pay, new teacher retention report reveals

As public schools nationwide struggle to retain teachers, one South Carolina group is trying to find answers.

SC TEACHER, a group dedicated to researching the state’s education workforce, released a new report about the factors affecting teacher retention.

Recent nationwide teacher retention rates were 84%, with 8% of teachers leaving for a new position and 8% leaving the profession altogether.

Rates are worse in South Carolina, where the 1-year retention rate is less than 80%. The 3-year retention rate is just 81.6%.

The main factor in teacher retention based on new survey data was satisfaction with the school environment. Other positive factors included principal tenure and student enrollment.  

However, high-poverty schools had a more difficult time retaining teachers. And surprisingly, more per-pupil spending was also correlated with lower retention. 

In other words, schools with bigger budgets had a harder time keeping teachers.  

The report called this “counterintuitive” but added that “prior research has identified the same phenomenon.” 

Researchers speculate the “inverse association between higher expenditures and lower retention might exist because schools with increased expenditures likely have ‘other, unobserved problems.’” 

Even direct monetary incentives for teachers – such as signing bonuses – aren’t effective if educators aren’t happy with their school culture. 

A 2013 survey of National Board Certified Teachers revealed “strong principal leadership, a collegial staff … and a supportive and active parent community” are stronger incentives than money. 

As school violence is on the rise nationwide, teachers increasingly need physical protection from violent students.  

Teachers in Nashville report being attacked daily by students. The situation got so bad at one Massachusetts high school that administrators requested help from the National Guard. 

A 74-year-old substitute teacher in Indiana even received a black eye and other head injuries when a teen student assaulted him. 

It’s no surprise then that culture matters more to teachers than the number on their paycheck.  

SC TEACHER also found lower retention rates in middle schools and urban and town schools as opposed to suburban or rural schools. 

The report also offer a few solutions for retention. 

First, it suggested improving working conditions for teachers through administrative support and giving teachers more influence over school policy and decision-making.  

Second, it promoted policies to retain principals in the hope that stable and effective leadership would result in more satisfied teachers.