Book Description

Every year, U.S. schools hire more than 200,000 new teachers for that first day of class; by the end of the school year, at least 22,000 have quit (Graziano, 2005). According to Graziano (2005), even those who make it beyond the demanding first year are not likely to stay long: "About 30% of new teachers flee the profession after just three years, and more than 45% leave after five years" (p. 40). It costs districts nearly $11,000 to replace teachers when they leave the profession (Graziano). This does not include the indirect cost related to investments the school district makes into its teachers: (a) professional development, (b) curriculum, and (c) school-specific knowledge. The U.S. Department of Education confirms that teacher turnover is highest in public schools where half or more of the students receive free or reduced lunches (Graziano, p. 40). According to research, stress, which in turn leads to burnout, is a cause of teacher attrition (Borg & Falzon, 1989; Capel, 1992). Half of the current teaching force is projected to retire between 2000 and 2010 (Southworth, 2000). As more teachers retire it is believed that they will be replaced by more inexperienced first-year teachers who, in turn, are not equipped to handle the stress that comes along with teaching (Archer, 1999). The magnitude of negative stress associated with teaching has been reported as a primary reason for teacher attrition and burnout (Bowden, 2000; Farber, 2000; Marshall & Marshall, 2003; Osborne, 1992; Terry, 1997). Teachers, namely new teachers, are faced with a growing emphasis on standards, accountability, diverse populations and lack of teacher and administrative support.