Source: Forbes
Of all K-12 public school teachers who left their jobs during the 2012-13 period, only 6.8% said they did so as a result of their salary, according to the most recent figures from the Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics. So what else is pushing teachers out of the profession and stopping more qualified people from entering it? An analysis of the Grand Challenges facing the education system found that the most salient issues cover a variety of themes, but the biggest one that jumps out is school culture. Many teachers protested in part as a response to dilapidated classroom conditions. When teachers went on strike in Oklahoma, beyond asking for a pay raise, they also demanded a $200 million increase in public school funding to improve school buildings and services.