Child care and early education (CCEE) educators typically have low levels of compensation; limited opportunities for education, training, and professional development; inconsistent working conditions; and high levels of stress and burnout. There are also high rates of job turnover, which can strain remaining educators and decrease the quality of…

This study examined the lived experiences of veteran female K-12 teachers who taught during the COVID-19 pandemic. The participants emphasized relationship building, the reevaluation of teaching as a career, the importance of administrative and systemic support, and both positive and negative experiences of teaching during the pandemic. This study…

The shortage of school-based agricultural education (SBAE) teachers in the United States has been a chronic issue for decades. Besides not having sufficient graduates in our teacher preparation programs, the number of SBAE teachers annually leaving the profession further exacerbates the problem. While the reasons why SBAE teachers leave the…

Teacher attrition is a significant problem nationally and a special challenge for school-based agriculture education programs. The purpose of this study was to investigate contributing variables associated with former Illinois school-based agriculture teachers and their decision to leave the profession. A four-factor conceptual model is proposed…

In the spring of 2014, John Bragelman accepted an administrative position at a community college in Chicago. He struggled with the decision because it meant leaving the mathematics classroom, a space he calls home. As a critical educator, he had the opportunity to watch his students become critical participators in their communities, readers and…

Although principals play a vital role as school leaders, exactly how principal leadership affects student learning is only beginning to be understood. In fact, only a few states have analyzed basic profile data on their principals--their demographics, education, and prior experience before leading a school. Most states also have yet to examine how…

Research shows that one-quarter to one-third of teachers who leave the profession return, the majority after only a short absence. Though returning teachers can constitute a substantial share of newly hired teachers in schools each year, little is known about them, the factors associated with their decisions to return, or the schools to which…

The relationship between prior and present socioeconomic status and 10 symptoms of social and psychological stress were examined for mobility effects. The analysis was confined to a 5-year, intragenerational mobility panel from 2 Illinois regions--Putnam County and segments of 3 other adjacent counties in north-central Illinois, and a portion of…

Golden Apple Teacher Education (GATE), which began as a partnership between the nonprofit Golden Apple Foundation and Northwestern University and later expanded to other Chicago-area university sites, provides an accelerated path for career-changing professionals to become teachers in Chicago schools. Such programs, which have multiplied…

A study was conducted to examine factors influencing the decisions of faculty who had opportunities to leave two universities. Particular attention is paid to the relative weight and importance faculty placed on the tangible, intangible, and non-work-related benefits of the incumbent and institution and the institution offering employment. The…

The impact of successful completion of the General Educational Development (GED) testing program upon the candidates and on the perceptions of their employers was analyzed. Questionnaires were returned by 241 successful GED candidates and 52 of their employers in DeKalb County, Illinois for the period 1970-79. Over one-half of the 428 successful…

The implications of departure of teachers from the work force are examined. Specifically questioned are the departure patterns of teachers with less than one year experience, departure patterns of teachers with twenty or more years of experience, and the relationships between the age and the experience of teachers. These questions make…

The finding that turnover rates for school superintendents are highest in small districts has been reflected in a number of studies. To further examine the finding, a survey in Illinois used a stratified random sample of 100 school districts, 32 of which had 499 or less students. With 1974-75 as a base year, the average years served by…

This curriculum guide offers a complete program for teaching pre-employment job-seeking skills that can be implemented in the secondary or postsecondary school. It contains 15 units on job search methods and job survival skills, divided into 40 lesson plans that teachers can use in the classroom. The material is intended to be integrated into…

This report of a project to begin to develop a plan for research, development, and instruction in adult vocational education in Illinois has two specific goals: (1) to identify the current status of adult vocational education in Illinois and (2) to recommend key directions for state actions. It presents information collected through a…