| This quantitative statistical descriptive dissertation examined the problem of teacher attrition in North Carolina Schools. There was expected to be a shortage of some 80,000 teachers in this State within the next ten years. Especially alarming was the fact that of the 8,561 teachers who left North Carolina Public schools during the 1997--1998 academic year, about 41% were tenured. During the 2000--2001 academic year, this figure rose to 43%.;This study addressed the critical problem of the State's loss of its best, most experienced teachers. What were the causes and consequences of teacher attrition? One explanation was that so many tenured teachers left their positions due to high levels of dissatisfaction. This study additionally examined the other reasons and explanations for teacher attrition? Teacher turnover had a negative impact on student performance, where learning was disrupted and students do not have the opportunity to form mentoring-type relationships with teachers. Conversely, this research considered factors that promoted teacher satisfaction that would result in teacher retention such as classroom restructuring, test and curriculum standards, and school safety.;According to the literature, the enormous pressures placed on beginning teachers during the induction phase, the negative organizational environment, and the increasing challenges of the teaching profession have all contributed to the departure of potentially outstanding educators from this profession. This dissertation attempted to identify the reasons for teacher turnover and attrition by looking at a variety of independent variables and considering how changes in educational practices and organizational procedures could restore the passion and enthusiasm of educators that contribute to the teacher retention.;The research design of this study consisted of a job satisfaction survey questionnaire administered to a non-random, sample of North Carolina teachers. The survey instrument measured factors contributing to public school teachers' dissatisfaction, including increased administrative duties for teachers, inadequate salaries, pressure to meet discipline specific standards, and declining job morale. The most significant finding of the study was that declining job satisfaction and resulting poor morale were the immediate causes of North Carolina's high teacher turnover rates resulting in the shortage of qualified teachers in the State. The conclusions and recommendations drawn from this study might be used to improve teacher retention rates and to increase teacher satisfaction within the profession. |
