Half of AZ teachers are thinking about changing careers because of low pay, a new study finds

More than half of public school teachers in Arizona say they may leave the profession in the next two years if working conditions don’t improve, according to a new study examining the state’s teacher shortage crisis. 

The report, commissioned by Gov. Katie Hobbs’ Educator Retention Task Force, examined professional satisfaction among current and former teachers to inform policies that could help encourage them to remain in the classroom. 

For almost a decade, the Grand Canyon State has struggled to retain teachers. A 2024 survey from the Arizona School Personnel Administrators Association estimated that the state’s teacher shortage streak has stretched into its ninth year, with more than 6,000 positions remaining vacant or filled with unqualified candidates a month into the new academic calendar. 

And the new survey indicates the situation will only worsen in the near future. Roughly 69% of Arizona teachers have weighed leaving the profession in the past year, and 54% say they’re at least somewhat likely to change careers in the next two years. 

The chief complaint from both current and former teachers was about inadequate compensation. In the 2021-2022 school year, Arizona ranked third-lowest in the country for teacher salaries, while having among the highest average class sizes that same year. Nearly three quarters of current Arizona teachers involved in the ASU study said dissatisfaction with their salary is driving them to consider leaving the classroom.

A higher salary would solve those problems: 93% of former teachers said increased pay would convince them to return. 

“I loved teaching. I absolutely loved it,” said one former teacher. “I can’t afford to be a teacher anymore. I would go back instantly if they paid a salary that was comparable to the private sector.” 

“I can’t buy a house. My husband and I have been living with my parents for three years now, and I’m done living with my parents,” said another. “I had to get a new job so that we could afford rent and we could move out. Because of student loans, because of medical bills, and all the things, I couldn’t stay.” 

Another concern impacting the ability of Arizona schools to remain fully staffed is discontent with state policies. About 70% of former teachers cited feeling micromanaged by state policies and not feeling respected as reasons for leaving the profession. 

Teachers have recently become a target of culture war issues, with Republican lawmakers accusing them of advancing leftist ideologies in the classroom and opting to support school choice alternatives, like private school vouchers, rather than increasing public school funding. Respondents in the ASU survey expressed frustration with the lack of state support, and pointed out that insufficient funding for public schools contributes to their increased workloads and inadequate pay. 

Some teachers noted that heightened distrust and scrutiny from parents restricts the instructional support they’re willing to give.

“People in my district are afraid to talk about (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports) because they don’t want to get reported to the hotline,” said one current teacher, referencing an educational framework that helps create a safe learning environment. “That’s just really disappointing, because we’ve seen it have such a positive impact on our students, on our staff, and our school community.” 

Others pointed out that teachers, not lawmakers, are best equipped to know what works in the classroom. 

“We know all of the data about what it takes to teach young people in a high-quality public education context,” said a former teacher. “We have information on how to do it effectively, and at every turn, there were fights about what was true and not true, about what was best for children. And I found that really, really frustrating as someone who is a scholar of education, to constantly be in a context in which we did not see data informing the work that we did.” 

Among the possible solutions that both former and current teachers agreed with was including teachers in the policymaking process, re-evaluating the school voucher program and increasing funding for public schools. The vast majority of teachers, 96%, ranked raising salaries at the top of the checklist, and 91% agreed that ensuring teachers have enough lesson preparation time is pivotal to keeping them at the head of the classroom. 

Other solutions that were highly supported were decreasing classroom sizes and reducing health care insurance premium costs to help teachers afford coverage.