Episode: 371

Episode Title: The Coming Education Crisis

A recent study found that almost half of teachers are thinking about leaving their jobs…yikes. Let’s talk about this impending crisis, next on The Perna Syndicate.

Ep 371 show:

You’re now in The Perna Syndicate and I’m your host, Mark Perna. This week I want to sound the alarm about a coming crisis in education. I can only speak to education in America, but I’m sure a similar challenge is playing out across the globe. This crisis is teacher burnout and turnover, at a level we’ve never seen before.

According to a recent survey, 48% of teachers admitted that they had considered quitting within the last 30 days. Of that number, 34% said they were thinking about leaving the profession entirely. 

Understaffing has plagued schools for years, but it’s now reaching epic proportions. Last month I sat around a table with four superintendents from various parts of the country and asked them, “What percent of teachers quitting would create a cataclysmic drop in your organization’s ability to educate young people?” The answers were all shockingly low—with one superintendent answering, “One. One teacher quitting would hurt us in a big way.” 

Teachers and administrators alike are stressed, overworked and at the end of their rope. After the tremendous pressures of the past two years, they have nothing more to give. They are already giving everything—time, energy, mental wellbeing, and heart. They’re beyond tired. They’re exhausted. Another study found that teachers experience burnout almost twice as much as other government employees. 

This is not sustainable. So what happens if half our teachers do quit, and a third leave the profession entirely? We may be about to find out. 

Tomorrow, we’re going to talk about the vicious cycle that is burning out teachers and hurting students. Join me on the next episode of The Perna Syndicate for an honest look at that topic. See you then!