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Preprimary, Elementary, and Secondary Education

Teacher Turnover: Stayers, Movers, and Leavers

Last Updated: May 2024
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Among the teachers in 2020–21 who voluntarily moved to another school for the 2021–22 school year, a higher percentage of public school teachers than private school teachers reported school factors as the most important reason for the move (31 vs. 20 percent), while a higher percentage of private school teachers than public school teachers reported salary and other job benefits as the most important reason (36 vs. 9 percent).
In the United States,1 84 percent of teachers in public schools and 82 percent of teachers in private schools in 2020–21 stayed on as teachers at the same school in 2021–22.2 Meanwhile, 8 percent of public school teachers and 6 percent of private school teachers moved to a position as a teacher at another school, and 8 percent of public school teachers and 12 percent of private school teachers left the profession. These three groups are referred to as “stayers,” “movers,” and “leavers,” respectively, in this indicator. Mobility or attrition status refers to a teacher’s status as a stayer, mover, or leaver.

Select a subgroup characteristic from the drop-down menu below to view relevant text and figures.

Control of Institution
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All available findings Educational attainment Level of institution Locale Race/ethnicity Sex or gender Socioeconomic status (SES) Time series Years of school experience
Figure 1. Percentage distribution of public and private school teachers, by mobility or attrition status: School years 2012–13 and 2021–22
Figure 1. Percentage distribution of public and private school teachers, by mobility or attrition status: School years 2012–13 and 2021–22

— Not available.

NOTE: Stayers are teachers who stayed in the same position at the same school in the school year reported above as in the previous school year, movers are teachers who moved to work as a teacher at a different school in the school year reported above, and leavers are teachers who were no longer working as a teacher in the school year reported above. Figures are plotted based on unrounded data. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding in the data labels.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Teacher Follow-up Survey (TFS), “Current and Former Teacher Data Files,” 2021–22; Teacher Attrition and Mobility: Results from the 2012–13 Teacher Follow-up Survey, U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics (NCES 2014-077). See Teacher Attrition and Mobility: Results From the 2021–22 Teacher Follow-up Survey to the National Teacher and Principal Survey, table 1.

Comparing the 2021–223 mobility or attrition status of public school teachers with that of private school teachers,
  • a higher percentage of public school teachers were movers (8 vs. 6 percent); and
  • a higher percentage of private school teachers were leavers (12 vs. 8 percent).
For public school teachers, data on mobility or attrition status are also available for 2012–13. The percentage of public school teachers in each of the three groups (stayers, movers, and leavers) in 2021–22 was not measurably different from the percentage in 2012–13. [Time series ]
Teachers who stayed in the profession but moved to a new school may or may not have been working in a school of the same control (public or private) as the prior year. Among teachers who were movers in 2021–22,
  • 96 percent of public school movers moved to another public school (including 51 percent who stayed in the same district); and
  • 54 percent of private school movers moved to another private school.
Figure 2. Percentage distribution of public and private school teachers who voluntarily changed schools, by the most important reason leading to their voluntary move: School year 2021–22
Figure 2. Percentage distribution of public and private school teachers who voluntarily changed schools, by the most important reason leading to their voluntary move: School year 2021–22

! Interpret data with caution. The coefficient of variation (CV) for this estimate is between 30 and 50 percent.

‡ Reporting standards not met. Either there are too few cases for a reliable estimate or the coefficient of variation (CV) is 50 percent or greater.

NOTE: “Movers” are teachers who were still teaching in the 2021–22 school year, but had moved to a different school after the base year (2020–21). Respondents were asked to choose, from a detailed list of various reasons, the most important reason in their decision to move from their base year (2020–21) school. The detailed reasons were grouped on the questionnaire into the general reasons provided here. Figures are plotted based on unrounded data. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding in the data labels.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS), Teacher Follow-up Survey (TFS), “Current and Former Teacher Data Files,” 2021–22. See Teacher Attrition and Mobility: Results From the 2021–22 Teacher Follow-up Survey to the National Teacher and Principal Survey, table 6.

Eighty-one percent of teachers who moved from public schools between 2020–21 and 2021–22 did so voluntarily. Among these voluntary public school movers, the reasons they cited as the most important for their decision included
  • school factors (31 percent);
  • personal life factors (27 percent);
  • assignment and classroom factors (11 percent); and
  • salary and other job benefits (9 percent).4
Eighty-four percent of private school teachers who moved to other schools between 2020–21 and 2021–22 did so voluntarily, and the reasons they reported as most important included
  • salary and other job benefits (36 percent);
  • personal life factors (25 percent);
  • school factors (20 percent); and
  • assignment and classroom factors (7 percent).
Among teachers who moved schools voluntarily in 2021–22, a higher percentage of public school teachers than private school teachers reported school factors as the most important reason for the move (31 vs. 20 percent), while a higher percentage of private school teachers than public school teachers reported salary and other job benefits as the most important reason (36 vs. 9 percent).5
Mobility or Attrition Status by Teacher Characteristics6
Figure 3. Percentage distribution of public and private school teachers who were stayers, movers, and leavers, by total years of teaching experience at any school: School year 2021–22
Figure 3. Percentage distribution of public and private school teachers who were stayers, movers, and leavers, by total years of teaching experience at any school: School year 2021–22

NOTE: Stayers are teachers in 2020–21 who stayed in the same school in 2021–22, movers are teachers in 2020–21 who moved to work at a different school in 2021–22, and leavers are teachers in 2020–21 who were no longer working as a teacher in 2021–22. Figures are plotted based on unrounded data. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding in the data labels.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS), Teacher Follow-up Survey (TFS), “Current and Former Teacher Data Files,” 2021–22. See Teacher Attrition and Mobility: Results From the 2021–22 Teacher Follow-up Survey to the National Teacher and Principal Survey, table 2.

Teachers at different points in their careers may exhibit different propensities for mobility or attrition. The data show some differences in mobility or attrition status in 2021–22 by years of experience7 for public and private school teachers. For example, at public schools,
  • the percentage of stayers was lower for those with less than 3 years of teaching experience (80 percent) and 4 to 9 years of teaching experience (82 percent) than for those with 10 to 14 years and 15 or more years of experience (86 percent each);
  • the percentage of movers was higher for those with less than 3 years of teaching experience (13 percent) and 4 to 9 years of teaching experience (10 percent) than for those with 10 to 14 years of experience (8 percent) and 15 or more years of experience (6 percent); and
  • the percentage of leavers was lower for those with 10 to 14 years of teaching experience (6 percent) than for those with 15 or more years of experience (9 percent).
At private schools,
  • the percentage of stayers was lower for those with less than 3 years of teaching experience (74 percent) than for those with 10 to 14 years of experience (89 percent) and 15 or more years of experience (84 percent);
  • the percentage of movers was higher for those with less than 3 years of teaching experience (11 percent) and 4 to 9 years of teaching experience (9 percent) than for those with 10 to 14 years and 15 or more years of experience (4 percent each); and
  • the percentage of leavers was lower for those with 10 to 14 years of teaching experience (7 percent) than for those with less than 3 years of experience (15 percent) and 15 or more years of experience (12 percent).
[Years of school experience]
There were also some differences in mobility or attrition status in 2021–22 for public school teachers by level of highest education attainment:
  • The percentage of movers was higher for those with a bachelor’s degree or less (9 percent) than for those with a master’s degree or a degree higher than a master’s (7 percent each).
  • The percentage of leavers was lower for those with a bachelor’s degree or less (6 percent) than for those with a master’s degree (9 percent) or a degree higher than a master’s (12 percent).
However, there was no measurable difference in mobility or attrition status for private school teachers by highest level of education attainment. [Educational attainment]
Few measurable differences were observed in mobility or attrition status for public or private school teachers in 2021–22 by other teacher characteristics, including sex and race/ethnicity.8 [Race/ethnicity ] [Sex or gender]
Mobility or Attrition Status by School Characteristics9
Figure 4. Percentage distribution of public and private school teachers who were stayers, movers, and leavers, by school locale: School year 2021–22
Figure 4. Percentage distribution of public and private school teachers who were stayers, movers, and leavers, by school locale: School year 2021–22

! Interpret data with caution. The coefficient of variation (CV) for this estimate is between 30 and 50 percent.

NOTE: Stayers are teachers in 2020–21 who stayed in the same school in 2021–22, movers are teachers in 2020–21 who moved to work at a different school in 2021–22, and leavers are teachers in 2020–21 who were no longer working as a teacher in 2021–22. Figures are plotted based on unrounded data. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding in the data labels.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS), Teacher Follow-up Survey (TFS), “Current and Former Teacher Data Files,” 2021–22. See Teacher Attrition and Mobility: Results From the 2021–22 Teacher Follow-up Survey to the National Teacher and Principal Survey, table 3.

Some differences were also observed in the mobility or attrition status of public school teachers in 2021–22 by school characteristics. The mobility or attrition status of teachers in 2021–22 varied by the locale (city, suburban, town, rural) of the schools in which teachers worked in 2020–21. Among public school teachers,
  • the percentage of stayers was lowest in cities (82 percent vs. 85 percent each in other locales); and
  • the percentage of movers was higher in cities (9 percent) than in suburban areas and towns (7 percent each).
On the other hand, among private school teachers, there were no measurable differences in mobility or attrition status by the locale of the schools. [Locale ]
There were some differences in the mobility or attrition status of teachers in 2021–22 by the level of the schools in which teachers worked (e.g., elementary or secondary) in 2020–21.10 Among public school teachers,
  • the percentage of stayers was lower for teachers from elementary schools (83 percent) than for teachers from secondary/high schools (86 percent); and
  • the percentage of leavers was lower for teachers from secondary/high schools (7 percent) than for teachers from combined/other schools (11 percent).
Among private school teachers,
  • the percentage of stayers was lower for teachers from secondary/high schools (77 percent) than for teachers from combined/other schools (84 percent);
  • the percentage of movers was higher for teachers from elementary/middle schools (8 percent) than for teachers from combined/other schools (5 percent); and
  • the percentage of leavers was higher for teachers from secondary/high schools (16 percent) than for teachers from combined/other schools (11 percent).
[Level of institution ]
Lastly, in 2021–22, the percentages of public school teachers who were stayers or leavers generally did not differ measurably by school poverty, based on the percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch (FRPL) in the school in which they worked in 2020–21.11, 12 The only difference was that the percentage of movers was higher in high-poverty public schools (9 percent) than in low-poverty public schools (7 percent). [Socioeconomic status (SES) ]

1 Throughout this indicator, the United States includes the 50 states and the District of Columbia.

2 For general technical notes related to data analysis, data interpretation, rounding, and other considerations, please refer to the Reader’s Guide.

3 Throughout this indicator, mobility or attrition status for a given school year refers to the status in that year relative to the prior year.

4 Respondents were asked to choose, from a detailed list of various reasons, the most important reason in their decision to move from their base year (2020–21) school. The detailed reasons were grouped on the questionnaire into the general reasons discussed here.

5 Leavers were also asked the question on their reason behind leaving. The reason public school and private school leavers cited as the most important for their decision for the leave was personal life factors (37 and 45 percent, respectively).

6 Teacher characteristics are based on reports during the 2020–21 school year.

7 Refers to years of experience as a teacher at any school.

8 Many differences by race/ethnicity, particularly for private school teachers, were not testable because reporting standards were not met.

9 School characteristics are for the schools in which teachers taught during the 2020–21 school year.

10 School levels include elementary, middle, secondary/high, and combined/other. All school levels are defined in the glossary. For private schools, elementary and middle are combined for reporting purposes.

11 Students from households with incomes under 185 percent of the poverty threshold are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch under the National School Lunch Program (NSLP). In addition, some groups of children—such as foster children, children participating in the Head Start and Migrant Education programs, and children receiving services under the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act—are assumed to be categorically eligible to participate in the NSLP. Students reported as eligible for FRPL also include students whose NSLP eligibility has been determined through direct certification, which is a “process conducted by the states and by local educational agencies (LEAs) to certify eligible children for free meals without the need for household applications” (https://www.fns.usda.gov/direct-certification-national-school-lunch-program-report-congress-state-implementation-progress-1). Also, under the Community Eligibility option, some nonpoor children who attend school in a low-income area may participate if the district decides that it would be more efficient to provide free lunch to all children in the school. For more information, see https://www.fns.usda.gov/nslp.

12 Eligibility for free or reduced-price lunch (FRPL) is a common measure of poverty in public schools. In this indicator, low-poverty schools are defined as public schools where 34 percent or less of the students are eligible for FRPL; mid-low poverty schools are defined as those where 35 to 49 percent of the students are eligible for FRPL; mid-high poverty schools are defined as those where 50 to 74 percent of the students are eligible for FRPL; and high-poverty schools are defined as those where 75 percent or more of the students are eligible for FRPL under the National School Lunch Program (NSLP). Most private schools do not participate in the NSLP; therefore, this section presents data for public school teachers only.

Supplemental Information

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Table A-1 (Teacher Attrition and Mobility: Results From the 2021–22 Teacher Follow-up Survey to the National Teacher and Principal Survey): Teachers' status by year: Percentage distribution of teacher stayers, movers, and leavers, by sector: 1988–89 through 2021–22;
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Table A-2 (Teacher Attrition and Mobility: Results From the 2021–22 Teacher Follow-up Survey to the National Teacher and Principal Survey): Teachers' status by teachers characteristics: Percentage distribution of public and private school teacher stayers, movers, and leavers, by selected teacher characteristics in the base year: 2021–22;
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Table A-3 (Teacher Attrition and Mobility: Results From the 2021–22 Teacher Follow-up Survey to the National Teacher and Principal Survey): Teachers' status by school characteristics: Percentage distribution of public and private school teacher stayers, movers, and leavers, by selected school characteristics in the base year: 2021–22;
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Table A-4a (Teacher Attrition and Mobility: Results From the 2021–22 Teacher Follow-up Survey to the National Teacher and Principal Survey): Public school teacher movers by type of move: Percentage distribution of public school teacher movers who moved across schools, school district, and sectors, by school classification, years of experience and type of move: 2021–22;
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Table A-4b (Teacher Attrition and Mobility: Results From the 2021–22 Teacher Follow-up Survey to the National Teacher and Principal Survey): Private school teacher movers by type of move: Percentage distribution of private school teacher movers who moved across schools, and sectors, by years of experience and type of move: 2021–22;
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Table A-5 (Teacher Attrition and Mobility: Results From the 2021–22 Teacher Follow-up Survey to the National Teacher and Principal Survey): Involuntary teacher movers and leavers by sector: Percentage of public and private school teacher movers and leavers who changed schools or left teaching involuntarily, by status and sector: 2021–22;
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Table A-6 (Teacher Attrition and Mobility: Results From the 2021–22 Teacher Follow-up Survey to the National Teacher and Principal Survey): Voluntary reasons for moving by sector: Percent of public and private school teacher movers who rated various reasons as the most important in their decision to voluntarily move from their base year school, by sector: 2021–22;
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Table A-7 (Teacher Attrition and Mobility: Results From the 2021–22 Teacher Follow-up Survey to the National Teacher and Principal Survey): Voluntary reasons for leaving by school type: Percentage of public and private school teacher leavers who rated various reasons as the most important in their decision to voluntarily leave the position of a K–12 teacher, by school type: School year 2021–22;
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Table 210.30 (Digest 2019): Mobility of public elementary and secondary teachers, by selected teacher and school characteristics: Selected years, 1987–88 through 2012–13
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Bachelor’s degree Combined/other school Educational attainment Elementary school Locale codes Master’s degree Middle school National School Lunch Program Private school Public school or institution Racial/ethnic group Secondary/high school
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Suggested Citation

National Center for Education Statistics. (2024). Teacher Turnover: Stayers, Movers, and Leavers. Condition of Education. U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences. Retrieved [date], from https://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator/slc.
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