Texas teacher attrition exceeds the national average by over 50%, with about 12% of teachers exiting districts before the 2023–24 school year¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · qualitative r? · q2
Currency · newest study 2025 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person · recheck by 2030: baselines and conditions change

Subclaims¶

q2 i? Texas's teacher attrition rate is more than 50% higher than the national average, with 45,231 teachers exiting districts (a 12% attrition rate) prior to 2023–24. → Bland 2025

Evidence¶

Bland 2025¶

Bland, J. A., Ralph, K., Wei, W., Wang, V., Wojcikiewicz, S. K., & Wechsler, M. E. (2025). Investing in a high-quality teacher workforce: Lessons from Texas teacher preparation programs. Learning Policy Institute. https://doi.org/10.54300/871.327

q2 · i? · qualitative · r?

The report's introduction analyzes state workforce data, reporting that "45,231 teachers who had taught in 2022–23 exited their districts, an attrition rate of 12%". It states the Texas attrition rate is "more than 50% higher than the national average". No effect size is printed.

"Prior to the 2023–24 school year, 45,231 teachers who had taught in 2022–23 exited their districts, an attrition rate of 12%."

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• In 2021–22, 99.7% of Texas teacher hires replaced teachers who had left the prior year, making attrition the dominant driver of demand
• A statewide cohort analysis found 8% of new Texas teachers left after year 1, 26% by year 5, and 46% by year 8
• High teacher attrition, near 8% annually, is the largest share of teacher demand, and halving it could virtually eliminate shortages
• Texas teacher turnover cost estimates exceed $10,800 per teacher in rural districts, $13,200 in suburban districts, and $25,200 in urban districts
• Sierra Middle School staff attrition was cut nearly in half after the 2023–24 school year — related
• Texas teacher attrition has exceeded the national average by about 25% over the past decade, reaching nearly 12% in 2021–22 — related
• U.S. teacher attrition averages 8–9% annually, about twice the rate of Canada, Finland, and Singapore, and drives roughly 9 in 10 annual hires — related
• Teacher turnover costs districts billions annually and harms student achievement — related
• Most teacher programs required significant time, effort, and resources, with mean program attrition of 12.69% and rates reaching 66.67%, suggesting time demands may limit real-world translation — related