IEA, Dept. Of Ed Weigh In On Teacher Departures

The number of Idaho teachers leaving the profession is increasing. Numbers released by the State Department of Education show they more than doubled from 2010 to 2011.

The reason why varies. Teachers and the Idaho Education Association blame last year’s Students Come First legislation.

But Department of Education spokeswoman Melissa McGrath said high turnover has been a problem for years, and this is a result of the economy.

The bell rang and students fled Clair E. Gale Junior High on Wednesday afternoon. Last year, it was teachers bolting from schools, and their jobs.

“Just the feeling of being attacked, the profession being attacked,” said Mitzi Ellingson, a science teacher and president of the Idaho Falls Education Association.

Ellingson said Idaho Superintendent Tom Luna’s Students Come First laws were mostly responsible for a startling increase in the number of teachers leaving education altogether.

According to the Idaho’s Department of Education, that figure jumped from 716 at the end of the 2009-2010 school year, to 1,276 last year.

More than half cited personal reasons.

“I had friends in the past year, who could have worked another couple of years, but after what they saw in Idaho and around the nation, decided to just call it,” said Ellingson.

“I don’t think anyone can attribute these numbers directly to that legislation,” said McGrath.

Some teachers, like Jeff Johnson, chose to stick with education, but in a different state. The turning point for him came back in 2006, when the funding formula changed.

“It was, ‘How do we keep what we do with less money?'” said Johnson via phone from Star Valley, Wyo. “When that became more of the discussion … instead of what can we do for kids?”

But the statistics show fewer teachers are following in Johnson’s footsteps these days. While 119 left for other states in 2010, just 48 made that decision in 2011.

“It’s a positive step forward keeping teachers, our best and brightest here in the state of Idaho,” said McGrath.

Ellingson and Johnson both said there’s less opportunity for teachers to increase their salaries through things like coaching or advising.

On Feb. 20, IEA members and public school administrators statewide will meet to talk about how Students Come First is being implemented and the upcoming referendum in November.