Journal of K-12 Educational Research 7 Literature Review Fewer new teachers are entering the education system than in the past, and more are leaving the field of education. During the 2022–2023 school year, the number of noncertified teachers rose to an all-time high, with 28.8% of individuals teaching in classrooms without a valid Texas teaching certificate. In 2022, the attrition rate of certified Texas teachers rose to a historic high of 13.4% (TEA, 2024). Approximately a third of new teachers depart the teaching profession within their first five years in the classroom (Frahm & Cianca, 2021). Highly qualified teachers are more likely to transfer schools or quit when teaching struggling learners or lower-achieving students (Boyd et al., 2005). Retaining teachers in rural school districts is essential to providing the best educational opportunities for students. Maintaining highly qualified teachers in rural low socioeconomic school districts is an ongoing challenge. The challenges in sustaining educators in a rural school district are not only due to the unavailability of highly qualified teachers, but also due to low teacher retention (Ingersoll et al., 2019). In 2020–2021, of the students enrolled in the Texas public education system, 60.3% were from low socioeconomic backgrounds, which is over half of the students enrolled in Texas public schools (Templeton et al., 2022). Why Teachers Leave the Field of Education Knowing the reasons why teachers leave the field of education is pertinent to developing a plan or program to retain them. According to the 2023 Texas Teacher Poll: Listening to the Educator Experience, almost half of the teachers who participated planned to make the teaching profession their only career when they began (Charles Butt Foundation, 2023). Among those surveyed in 2022, 75% were considering leaving their teaching position (Templeton et al., 2022). Rural teachers and administrators are frequently burdened with the lack of financial resources at school and with concerns for students not having their basic needs met due to poverty. Rural schools often have limited budgets to compete with salary offers or to maintain competitive salary offers like urban school districts (Seelig, 2017). Developing Teachers Through Mentoring Without support, newer teachers feel unprepared and overwhelmed. The attrition rates show that approximately half of the educators new to teaching will leave the profession within their first five years (Steele et al., 2019). Some of the most influential teacher induction and mentoring programs combine mentoring and coaching sessions with feedback from veteran teachers and professional development opportunities in various settings (Weisling & Gardiner, 2018). Mentors assist new teachers with problem-solving. Novice teachers value explicit and concrete suggestions as well as feedback as they develop their teaching skills, especially when the feedback comes from someone they respect who excels in the job the novice teacher is learning to do (Sayeski & Paulsen, 2012). Mentoring a new teacher requires responsibility, time commitment, and patience. Just because someone is a skilled teacher does not mean they possess the skills needed to be a mentor to a new teacher. Retaining Teachers The campus culture may also influence teachers to stay invested in their position and development. The campus principal has responsibilities in developing novice teachers, promoting a positive campus culture, and ensuring professional development opportunities are available to staff members to develop their skills. The investment principals make in supporting new teachers through mentoring structures and professional development in their beginning years must also provide and foster opportunities for those early in their careers and for veteran teachers to develop into skilled, highly qualified educators (Lehman, 2017). Constant teacher turnover can disrupt the momentum of building a solid campus culture and productive instructional programs throughout a school or district (Johnson et al., 2012). Teachers often choose to leave schools with poor or fragmented work environments. A campus leader or principal has a prominent role in developing the campus culture. According to the research of Johnson et al. (2012), some facets of the teachers’ work environment
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