EdSurge is collecting stories from educators who have exited the profession or plan to leave soon. The publication invites teachers, administrators, and school staff to share their reasons for departing education and moving into other fields.

This request reflects a documented trend. Teacher turnover remains elevated across the United States. The Learning Policy Institute found that 16 percent of teachers leave the profession annually, a rate higher than pre-pandemic levels. Reasons cited in research include low wages, lack of administrative support, student discipline challenges, and burnout from pandemic disruptions.

Recent surveys add detail. The MetLife Survey of the American Teacher documented that job satisfaction among educators dropped significantly between 2008 and 2013. The Economic Policy Institute reported that teacher salaries lag 20 percent behind comparable college-educated professionals in other fields. Meanwhile, teachers report spending personal money on classroom supplies. The average teacher spends roughly $500 per year from their own pocket.

School districts face real costs from this exodus. Replacing a teacher costs between $10,000 and $30,000 per person when accounting for recruitment, hiring, and training. High-turnover schools struggle to maintain continuity and student relationships. Students in these schools often show lower achievement gains.

EdSurge's collection effort aims to capture firsthand accounts of why educators make the difficult choice to leave. These stories matter because they pinpoint specific pressures within schools and districts. Policymakers, administrators, and education researchers use such testimony to understand where retention efforts should focus.

The profession faces a retention crisis that extends beyond statistics. Understanding what pushes individual educators out of schools helps identify which interventions might work. Whether the issue centers on compensation, working conditions, classroom autonomy, or support systems, these accounts provide texture that surveys alone cannot capture. EdSurge's call for testimonials serves both journalism and research purposes, documenting a trend that