Percentage of public school teacher leavers and public school teacher leaver retirees, by age and selected teacher and school characteristics: 2012–13 and 2021–22

					Teacher age
	Total				Less than 30 years				30–49 years				50–54 years				55 years or more
Selected teacher and school characteristics	2012–13		2021–22		2012–13		2021–22		2012–13		2021–22		2012–13		2021–22		2012–13		2021–22
All public school teacher leavers	100.0		100.0		100.0		100.0		100.0		100.0		100.0		100.0		100.0		100.0

Main occupational status
Working for a school or school district in a position in the field of K-12 education, but not as a regular K-12 classroom teacher	29.3		39.3		24.5		42.4		53.8		54.0		20.6	!	54.2		13.5	!	16.5
Working in the field of K-12 education but not in a school/district	1.1	!	3.6		‡		2.2	!	‡		6.5	!	‡		‡		‡		‡
Working in the field of pre-K or postsecondary education	2.2	!	2.5	!	‡		‡		‡		3.5	!	‡		‡		‡		0.8	!
Working outside the field of education, including military service	7.7		11.8		19.0	!	28.1		10.5		14.4		‡		3.2	!	‡		5.5	!
Unemployed	5.8		4.8		10.3	!	8.9	!	9.6	!	5.0		‡		8.4		‡		2.1	!
Student at a college or university	1.9		1.8	!	9.7	!	3.2	!	0.9	!	3.3	!	‡		‡		‡		‡
Caring for family members	9.4		5.6		25.9	!	9.0		14.4		7.2	!	‡		‡		‡		1.5	!
Retired	38.3		27.7		‡		‡		1.6	!	0.8	!	54.1		19.7		78.0		71.6
Disabled	‡		0.3	!	‡		‡		‡		‡		‡		‡		‡		‡
Other	‡		2.4	!	‡		‡		‡		4.6	!	‡		‡		‡		0.6	!

Total years of teaching experience at any school
3 years or less	10.9		10.5		42.5		39.3		13.1		10.0	!	‡		‡		‡		3.3	!
4–9 years	24.1		23.7		57.5		60.7		39.7		33.3		‡		7.5	!	‡		4.4
10–14 years	18.5		13.3		‡		‡		30.7		23.2		‡		13.3	!	16.9	!	6.4	!
15 or more years	46.5		52.4		‡		‡		16.5		33.5		80.0		76.6		78.2		85.9

Main teaching assignment
Early Childhood or General Elementary	25.0		30.6		31.9		41.9		19.6		30.2		‡		23.6		30.0		29.2
Special Education	11.0		15.4		‡		18.8	!	7.2		12.9		‡		28.5		12.7		13.1
Arts or Music	3.5		4.4		4.9	!	2.7	!	3.4	!	2.6		‡		2.3	!	3.6		7.7
English and Language Arts	14.7		10.3		9.5		6.2		14.6	!	11.3		24.0	!	‡		13.9		9.6
ESL or Bilingual Education	‡		3.1		‡		‡		‡		2.9	!	‡		‡		‡		4.4	!
Foreign Languages	‡		2.4		‡		‡		2.0	!	1.7	!	‡		‡		‡		4.1	!
Health Education	10.0	!	3.6	!	‡		‡		‡		‡		‡		‡		‡		5.4	!
Mathematics	10.0		7.7		10.0	!	‡		15.8	!	11.1		‡		4.8	!	‡		4.4
Natural Sciences	5.7		5.7		‡		2.1	!	5.8	!	7.3	!	‡		5.7	!	4.4	!	5.2
Social Sciences	7.1		6.7		7.5	!	‡		6.9	!	5.2		‡		7.3	!	7.2		6.4
Career or Technical Education	5.5		7.5		‡		‡		‡		8.8	!	‡		3.5	!	8.8		9.2
All Other	3.9	!	2.6	!	‡		‡		7.0	!	2.5	!	‡		‡		3.7	!	1.4	!

School classification
Traditional public school	96.4		92.6		93.2		90.6		94.9		90.7		99.5		92.9		97.9		95.6
Charter school	3.6		7.4		6.8	!	9.4	!	5.1	!	9.3		‡		7.1	!	2.1	!	4.4

Community type
City	28.5		31.3		30.8		30.5	!	40.9		35.3		‡		26.4		22.0		28.2
Suburban	31.1		37.0		29.7	!	40.2		27.2		32.5		36.1	!	43.5		33.2		39.0
Town	9.8		10.6		11.3	!	‡		9.7		8.8		8.1	!	9.5		9.8		12.7
Rural	30.6		21.1		28.2		17.4		22.1		23.4		41.9	!	20.6		35.0		20.0

Student enrollment
Less than 100 students	1.5		4.5		‡		‡		1.6	!	3.4	!	‡		‡		1.5	!	5.9	!
100–199	2.4		3.9		‡		2.1	!	1.9	!	4.4	!	‡		‡		2.6	!	4.6
200–499	32.6		37.3		29.2		46.8		36.0		39.9		33.8	!	33.0		30.6		32.2
500–749	26.2		24.3		36.2		22.0		23.0		25.6		31.5	!	24.2		23.5		23.7
750–999	9.7		9.2		13.4	!	6.8	!	7.8		6.8		‡		10.0	!	11.1		12.5
1,000 or more students	27.7		20.8		16.0		21.8	!	29.7		19.9		‡		21.8	!	30.7		21.1

Percent of K–12 students who were approved for free or reduced-price lunches¹
0–34	32.9		31.0		35.9		35.6		26.7		28.8		40.2	!	31.4		34.5		31.7
35–49	16.4		13.3		‡		14.1	!	18.9	!	12.9		‡		11.8		17.4		13.9
50–74	25.4		20.1		26.6		21.5	!	25.3	!	16.2		31.9	!	27.1		22.8		22.0
75 or more	25.4		35.6		22.9		28.7		29.1		42.1		‡		29.7		25.3		32.3

All public school teacher leaver retirees	100.0		100.0		‡		‡		100.0		100.0		100.0		100.0		100.0		100.0

Total years of teaching experience at any school
3 years or less	‡		‡		‡		‡		‡		‡		‡		‡		‡		‡
4–9 years	‡		1.7	!	‡		‡		‡		‡		‡		‡		‡		1.9	!
10–14 years	‡		1.3	!	‡		‡		‡		‡		‡		‡		‡		1.3	!
15 or more years	83.2		96.7		‡		‡		86.7		100.0		95.4		99.4		80.5		96.4

Main teaching assignment
Early Childhood or General Elementary	34.7		30.3		‡		‡		71.2		43.2	!	‡		27.7		37.2		30.4
Special Education	12.7	!	14.0		‡		‡		‡		‡		‡		17.9	!	11.0	!	13.7
Arts or Music	3.7		6.8		‡		‡		‡		‡		‡		‡		4.0		7.0
English and Language Arts	9.6		9.0		‡		‡		‡		‡		‡		11.9	!	10.5		8.5
ESL or Bilingual Education	‡		4.6	!	‡		‡		‡		‡		‡		‡		‡		5.1	!
Foreign Languages	‡		4.2	!	‡		‡		‡		‡		‡		‡		‡		4.3	!
Health Education	‡		7.1	!	‡		‡		‡		‡		‡		‡		‡		7.2	!
Mathematics	4.5		5.0		‡		‡		‡		‡		‡		‡		4.3		5.1
Natural Sciences	4.0	!	5.5		‡		‡		‡		‡		‡		8.4	!	4.4	!	5.3
Social Sciences	8.9		5.4		‡		‡		‡		‡		‡		‡		8.9		5.0
Career or Technical Education	7.0		6.4		‡		‡		‡		‡		‡		‡		8.1		6.8
All Other	‡		1.7	!	‡		‡		‡		‡		‡		‡		‡		1.6	!

School classification
Traditional public school	98.4		97.0		‡		‡		100.0		83.9		99.8		96.6		98.1		97.2
Charter school	1.6	!	3.0		‡		‡		‡		‡		‡		‡		1.9	!	2.8

Community type
City	21.9		26.9		‡		‡		47.0	!	‡		‡		24.9	!	22.5		27.1
Suburban	37.9		40.6		‡		‡		‡		‡		43.5	!	28.7		37.0		42.0
Town	10.3		12.1		‡		‡		‡		‡		‡		19.1		10.8		11.1
Rural	29.9		20.4		‡		‡		‡		‡		31.6	!	27.3	!	29.7		19.8

Student enrollment
Less than 100 students	1.3	!	5.6	!	‡		‡		‡		‡		‡		‡		1.5	!	6.0	!
100–199	2.3	!	5.4		‡		‡		‡		‡		‡		‡		2.8	!	5.4
200–499	24.9		32.9		‡		‡		‡		44.7	!	‡		31.9		25.5		32.8
500–749	23.4		21.5		‡		‡		‡		‡		‡		24.1		21.8		21.4
750–999	12.6		11.9		‡		‡		‡		‡		‡		‡		13.2		12.4
1,000 or more students	35.4		22.6		‡		‡		‡		‡		37.5	!	31.3		35.3		22.0

Percent of K–12 students who were approved for free or reduced-price lunches¹
0–34	38.6		31.9		‡		‡		48.3	!	‡		59.4		23.6	!	33.9		32.8
35–49	16.6		14.8		‡		‡		‡		‡		‡		27.1		17.7		13.9
50–74	22.9		19.9		‡		‡		‡		38.4	!	‡		12.2	!	23.3		20.3
75 or more	21.8	!	33.3		‡		‡		‡		‡		‡		37.1		25.1	!	33.0

! Interpret data with caution. The coefficient of variation (CV) for this estimate is between 30 percent and 50 percent (i.e., the standard error is at least 30 percent and less than 50 percent of the estimate).

‡ Reporting standards not met. Either there are too few cases for a reliable analysis, or the coefficient of variation (CV) for this estimate is 50 percent or greater (i.e., the standard error is 50 percent or more of the estimate).

¹Schools that do not participate in the free or reduced-price lunch program are included with the 0–34% category.

NOTE: Data are weighted estimates of the population. “Leavers” are 2011–12 SASS/2020–21 NTPS teachers who were no longer teachers in the 2012–13/2021–22 TFS school year. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS), Teacher Follow-up Survey (TFS), “Former Teacher Data File,” 2012–13 and National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS), Teacher Follow-up Survey (TFS), “Former Teacher Data File,” 2021–22.