The first five years : providing adequate support and resources for new teachers

Crystal Harvey, California State University, Monterey Bay

Capstone Project (B.A.) Liberal Studies Department

Abstract

“46 percent of newly hired teachers in public schools are first-time teachers” and within the first five years of teaching, “…more than 30 percent of new teachers leave the classroom by the end of their fifth year” (Bolich, 2001, p.4). With these high numbers, what is contributing to the high turnover rate of new teachers? The question for this project is what can be done to reduce the high turnover rate of teachers with less than five years of experience at the elementary school level? Based on the research conducted and the data collected, I created a letter lobbying for support and resources for new teachers to reduce the turnover rate and improve the retention rate among teachers with less than five years of experience.