A STUDY ON HOW TO SOLVE HIGH TEACHER ATTRITION RATES 1

Recommendations to Solve High Attrition Rates Among Teachers at Roxborough

High School

Student’s Name

Instructor’s Name

Institution Affiliation

Course

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A STUDY ON HOW TO SOLVE HIGH TEACHER ATTRITION RATES 2

Recommendations to Solve High Attrition Rates Amongst Teachers at Roxborough

High School

The district of Philadelphia has recorded a recent upsurge in teacher resignation,

absenteeism, and leave requests. According to Calhoun (2022), 169 teachers left the school

system between December and February, about 178 teachers are currently on leave, and only

68% of teachers attended 95% of classes. These statistics depict a worrying trend of increased

attrition that has significantly affected Roxborough high school in the Philadelphia district.

According to The School District of Philadelphia (2022), Roxborough High School is among the

bottom 50% of all schools’ overall test scores; only 10-14% of students achieve proficiency in

math, and 20-24% of all students achieve mastery in language. Teachers who leave the

profession or change schools are likely to contribute to the recorded poor performance.

Research shows that teacher attrition results from burnout and job dissatisfaction

(Madigan & Kim, 2021). Job burnout is a psychological condition characterized by emotional

exhaustion from teaching, perception of reduced sense of accomplishment, and a negative

attitude towards students. These feelings increase absenteeism and turnover rates and negatively

affect student performance. At Roxborough high school, teacher burnout may result from work

overload due to a high student-to-teacher ratio (Saloviita & Pakarinen, 2021). Other variables,

such as time pressure and pressure to improve performance, also contribute to teacher burnout

and high attrition rates in Roxborough High School.

Job dissatisfaction is a crucial cause of increased absenteeism, turnovers, and leave

requests. In the teaching profession, job discontent may result from unmet expectations of what

teachers perceive to be essential in their careers. Roxborough high school is surrounded by social

unrest, such as the recent shooting, lack of development opportunities, and inadequate
A STUDY ON HOW TO SOLVE HIGH TEACHER ATTRITION RATES 3

organizational support to teachers. Novice teachers are often exposed to a demanding curriculum

without adequate learning opportunities and social support. Other factors, such as high classroom

demand and inadequate resources, resulted in job dissatisfaction and increased intentions to leave

the teaching profession.

Consequently, teachers’ burnout and job dissatisfaction have contributed to high attrition

rates at Roxborough High School. As teachers leave, those left behind are exposed to heavier

workloads and may experience increased stress, burnout, and discontent. Furthermore, the school

administration spends more effort and resources on staffing requirements and leaves inadequate

resources to support teachers. Thus, the problem of teacher attrition creates a feedback

mechanism that spurs more workload and dissatisfaction among remaining teachers who may

lack the enthusiasm to continue their duties.

The administration at Roxborough may implement several strategies to reduce teacher

attrition. First, the school Principal should create positive professional relationships with

teachers. Administrators should proactively demonstrate connections to new employees and

involve other faculty members to create an inclusive social environment (Frahm & Cianca,

2021). Authentic relationships are meaningful in employee retention. Furthermore, good social

connections provide the necessary support to novice teachers, encourage professional

development, and prevent isolation. Administrators should seek opportunities such as weddings,

birthdays, and other social occasions to develop personal relationships and create a sense of

belonging among teachers.

The Principal at Roxborough high school can create conducive working environments to

increase job satisfaction. Administrators can serve as mentors, organize training programs,

secure funding, and provide vital resources for teachers to effectively perform their duties and
A STUDY ON HOW TO SOLVE HIGH TEACHER ATTRITION RATES 4

demonstrate faculty support. Research shows that positive feedback and verbal compliments

encourage staff members and increase their commitment (Li & Tong, 2020). The principal

should validate the efforts of teachers, inspire them and evoke a sense of achievement and

recognition to increase personal confidence and job satisfaction.

Teacher involvement in administrative activities significantly improves the personal

sense of contribution and prevents the loss of enthusiasm. The principal should involve teachers

in critical decisions and encourage them to express a unique level of autonomy and innovation

(Frahm & Cianca, 2021). This recommendation helps engage teachers and instigate a sense of

purpose and independence, which appeals to individual intrinsic motivations to continue a career.

The strategy communicates confidence and trust, and encourages teachers to develop confidence,

feel essential and develop critical leadership skills. These opportunities for professional growth

and development will increase job satisfaction.

This essay proposes that teacher attrition results from more administrative shortcomings

rather than student-related factors. Specifically, Roxborough high school creates an environment

that results in job dissatisfaction and teacher burnout. Inadequate social relationships, work

overload, and lack of administrative support are the leading causes of high attrition rates at this

school. The Principal should consider strategies that support teachers and make them feel valued

to increase teacher retention. This essay presents three recommendations to reduce teacher

attrition at Roxborough high school. First, the Principal should create positive professional

relationships and connections that foster an inclusive environment. Second, the administrator

should create a conducive working environment through mentorships and faculty support. Third,

the administrator should involve teachers in critical decisions to increase their sense of
A STUDY ON HOW TO SOLVE HIGH TEACHER ATTRITION RATES 5

importance. These strategies aim to increase job satisfaction, prevent burnout and result in higher

retention.
A STUDY ON HOW TO SOLVE HIGH TEACHER ATTRITION RATES 6

References

Calhoun, J. (2022, July 19). Pennsylvania aims to reverse decline in new teachers, diversify K-

12 workforce. Chalkbeat Philadelphia.

https://philadelphia.chalkbeat.org/2022/7/19/23269936/pennsylvania-teacher-workforce-

grow-diversity-plan-education-department

Frahm, M., and Cianca, M. (2021). Will they stay or will they go? leadership behaviors that

increase teacher retention in rural schools. The Rural Educator, 42(3), 1-13.

Li, J., and Tong, F. (2020). The effect of cognitive vocabulary learning approaches on Chineese

learners’ compound word attainment, retention and learning motivation. Language

Teaching and Research, 24(6), 834-854. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362168819829025

Madigan, D., and Kim, L. (2021). Towards an understanding of teacher attrition: A meta-

analysis of burnout, job satisfaction, and teachers’ intentions to quit. Teaching and

Teacher Education, 105, 103425. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2021.103425

Saloviita, T., & Pakarinen, E. (2021). Teacher burnout explained: Teacher-student, and

organisation-level variables. Teaching and Teacher Education, 97, 1-14.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2020.103221

The School District of Philadelphia. (2022). Roxborough High School (High).

https://schoolprofiles.philasd.org/roxboroughhs/overview