Many districts used them for retention bonuses to keep

Posted on: February 21, 2025 at 12:45:28 CT

qualified teachers. They could not really use them to raise salaries knowing that the funds were only short-term.

Teaching took a massive hit during and just after COVID. There were massive early retirements and many experienced teachers, 10-20 years of service, left the profession. That does not include the very high rollover rate that is normal among young teachers who decide the profession is not for them.

I now work in a suburban district so we were not hit as hard but my wife is in one of the urban districts and since COVID they have only had a 50% retention rate. That means they have had to replace almost 700 teachers and staff every summer. Last year her high school started the year with six vacancies in the math department alone.