Percentage distribution of the level of importance that public and private K–12 teachers who voluntarily moved to a different school between the 2020–21 and 2021–22 school years attributed to any reason for moving and percentage who listed a given reason as the most important reason for moving, by total years of teaching experience at any school in the 2020–21 school year and voluntary reasons for moving between the 2020–21 and 2021–22 school years: School year 2021–22

	Movers with 3 or fewer total years of teaching experience in 2020–21												Movers with more than 3 total years of teaching experience in 2020–21
	Level of importance										Most important reason for moving¹		Level of importance									Most important reason for moving¹
Voluntary reason for moving	Not at all important		Slightly important		Somewhat important		Very important		Extremely important		Most important reason for moving¹		Not at all important	Slightly important		Somewhat important		Very important		Extremely important		Most important reason for moving¹
Public school teacher movers
Personal life factors
Because I wanted to take a job more conveniently located or because I moved	34.9		4.2	!	9.9		15.8	!	35.2		26.6		46.4	5.9		10.1		13.8		23.9		18.6
Because of other personal life reasons (e.g., health, pregnancy/childcare, caring for family)	48.1		12.6	!	14.1	!	13.5	!	11.7		3.4	!	49.6	10.0		10.9		12.5		17.0		6.3
Because I wanted to receive retirement benefits from last year's school system	82.5		‡		2.4	!	2.2	!	2.2	!	‡		82.5	3.4		5.3	!	3.4		5.4	!	‡
Because of changes in childcare arrangements caused by the COVID-19 pandemic	91.1		1.6	!	2.8	!	2.0	!	2.5	!	‡		89.5	2.2		2.5		3.0		2.8		‡
Salary and other job benefits
Because I wanted or needed a higher salary	37.8		14.7	!	24.1		7.5		15.9		7.6		52.2	6.6		11.0		13.2		17.1		6.9
Because I needed better benefits than I received at last year’s school	64.2		7.3		14.3	!	6.5		7.6		‡		67.3	5.2		8.4		11.0		8.1		‡
Because I was concerned about my job security at last year’s school	74.1		5.4		6.4	!	‡		5.8		1.8	!	76.2	5.6		6.0		5.8		6.5		1.0
Because I wanted or needed a way to pay off debt from my undergraduate or graduate education (such as higher pay and/or debt forgiveness)	74.6		‡		3.2	!	3.2	!	8.6		‡		82.3	6.1		2.8		3.2		5.7		0.7	!
Assignment and classroom factors
Because I was dissatisfied with my job description or assignment (e.g., responsibilities, grade level, or subject area)	37.9		8.9		20.3	!	13.2	!	19.7		7.8	!	36.5	12.4		15.8		12.3		22.9		7.3
Because I did not have enough autonomy over my classroom at last year’s school	49.8		19.0	!	8.0		14.2	!	9.0		‡		51.5	12.9		11.8		10.2		13.6		0.9	!
Because I was dissatisfied with the large number of students I taught at last year’s school	54.0		10.8		16.5	!	‡		5.3	!	‡		53.7	13.5		13.8		9.8		9.3		‡
Because I felt that there were too many intrusions on my teaching time at last year’s school	48.3		9.0		8.9	!	19.7	!	14.0		‡		41.9	13.0		12.9		13.0		19.2		1.9	!
School factors
Because I wanted the opportunity to teach at my current school	30.8		4.1	!	10.8		29.2		25.1		8.7		28.3	8.0		12.6		21.0		30.1		11.5
Because I was dissatisfied with the way my school or district supported me during the COVID-19 pandemic	51.0		11.7	!	15.3	!	7.6		14.4		‡		49.7	10.4		9.6		11.2		19.1		4.3
Because I was dissatisfied with workplace conditions (e.g., facilities, classroom resources, school safety) at last year’s school	48.6		‡		11.7	!	8.9		19.6		‡		42.3	10.2		10.7		14.6		22.2		2.5
Because student discipline problems were an issue at last year’s school	55.5		9.5		11.5		6.7		16.8		1.4	!	45.2	8.6		11.6		11.6		23.1		2.2
Because I was dissatisfied with the administration at last year’s school	40.9		7.6		7.9		‡		29.4		6.3	!	35.1	8.6		11.6		10.4		34.3		8.8
Because I was dissatisfied with the lack of influence I had over school policies and practices at last year’s school	51.3		22.1	!	8.2		6.6		11.8		‡		44.6	11.3		15.3		9.7		19.1		‡
Because there were not enough opportunities for leadership roles or professional advancement at last year’s school	59.1		6.4		17.8	!	6.0		10.7		‡		59.3	9.0		13.2		6.6		11.8		‡
Student performance factors
Because I was dissatisfied with how student assessments and school accountability measures impacted my teaching or curriculum at last year’s school	62.0		10.3		9.3		3.3	!	15.1	!	‡		61.1	8.5		10.0		10.3		10.0		‡
Because I was dissatisfied with how some of my compensation, benefits, or rewards were tied to the performance of my students at last year’s school	77.0		7.1		7.0		2.8	!	6.1	!	‡		75.8	8.5		6.0		4.4		5.3		‡
Because I was dissatisfied with the support I received for preparing my students for student assessments at last year’s school	73.3		5.3		6.5		6.6		8.3		‡		61.0	11.2		9.9		6.6		11.3		‡
Other factors
Because of other factors not included in previous items	59.4		‡		‡		‡		30.3		19.5	!	61.8	0.7	!	0.8	!	5.7		31.0		20.3

Private school teacher movers
Personal life factors
Because I wanted to take a job more conveniently located or because I moved	52.5		‡		‡		‡		31.8		16.8	!	40.2	15.5	!	5.7	!	14.1	!	24.5		18.6
Because of other personal life reasons (e.g., health, pregnancy/childcare, caring for family)	31.6	!	18.2	!	9.2	!	‡		32.1		‡		55.3	6.2	!	11.9		12.3	!	14.2	!	‡
Because I wanted to receive retirement benefits from last year's school system	54.9		‡		‡		‡		‡		‡		74.0	10.2	!	7.0	!	‡		3.4	!	‡
Because of changes in childcare arrangements caused by the COVID-19 pandemic	81.4		‡		‡		‡		‡		‡		90.9	‡		4.3	!	‡		‡		‡
Salary and other job benefits
Because I wanted or needed a higher salary	‡		‡		15.0	!	18.5	!	55.4		40.2		20.8	‡		13.5	!	19.7		36.3		21.8
Because I needed better benefits than I received at last year’s school	30.3		13.5	!	‡		‡		42.4		‡		33.5	‡		15.8	!	18.7		30.0		‡
Because I was concerned about my job security at last year’s school	67.3		‡		‡		‡		‡		‡		64.3	2.7	!	11.7	!	8.5	!	12.8	!	‡
Because I wanted or needed a way to pay off debt from my undergraduate or graduate education (such as higher pay and/or debt forgiveness)	52.1		‡		‡		‡		29.2		‡		69.8	5.7	!	‡		‡		20.8		‡
Assignment and classroom factors
Because I was dissatisfied with my job description or assignment (e.g., responsibilities, grade level, or subject area)	41.5		‡		‡		14.8	!	17.7	!	‡		47.7	5.9	!	19.7		12.7	!	14.0		‡
Because I did not have enough autonomy over my classroom at last year’s school	63.5		17.3	!	‡		‡		‡		‡		70.5	6.8	!	10.1	!	3.5	!	9.0	!	‡
Because I was dissatisfied with the large number of students I taught at last year’s school	80.7		‡		‡		‡		‡		‡		83.3	9.2	!	4.3	!	‡		‡		‡
Because I felt that there were too many intrusions on my teaching time at last year’s school	57.6		‡		‡		‡		‡		‡		68.7	8.4	!	6.4	!	8.3	!	8.2	!	‡
School factors
Because I wanted the opportunity to teach at my current school	36.5	!	‡		18.4	!	7.5	!	34.8	!	‡		38.0	‡		15.9	!	18.6		20.9		‡
Because I was dissatisfied with the way my school or district supported me during the COVID-19 pandemic	52.1		‡		‡		‡		23.4	!	‡		51.4	13.9	!	8.1	!	10.7	!	15.8		6.2	!
Because I was dissatisfied with workplace conditions (e.g., facilities, classroom resources, school safety) at last year’s school	38.0		‡		‡		‡		26.1	!	‡		55.4	15.1	!	14.3	!	‡		13.6		‡
Because student discipline problems were an issue at last year’s school	63.6		22.8	!	‡		‡		‡		‡		61.0	14.6		11.3	!	5.4	!	7.7	!	‡
Because I was dissatisfied with the administration at last year’s school	31.4		‡		‡		19.0	!	36.6		‡		42.7	6.3	!	10.1	!	15.3		25.6		8.0	!
Because I was dissatisfied with the lack of influence I had over school policies and practices at last year’s school	44.7		12.8	!	‡		‡		28.6	!	‡		48.6	13.5		13.7	!	12.7		11.5	!	‡
Because there were not enough opportunities for leadership roles or professional advancement at last year’s school	43.1		16.5	!	16.9	!	‡		17.8	!	‡		52.5	7.9	!	11.4	!	14.8	!	13.4		‡
Student performance factors
Because I was dissatisfied with how student assessments and school accountability measures impacted my teaching or curriculum at last year’s school	76.3		‡		‡		‡		‡		‡		74.4	14.0	!	5.5	!	2.9	!	‡		‡
Because I was dissatisfied with how some of my compensation, benefits, or rewards were tied to the performance of my students at last year’s school	69.4		‡		‡		‡		‡		‡		81.4	‡		8.1	!	2.8	!	‡		‡
Because I was dissatisfied with the support I received for preparing my students for student assessments at last year’s school	66.8		‡		16.7	!	‡		13.2	!	‡		85.1	‡		7.5	!	‡		‡		‡
Other factors
Because of other factors not included in previous items	72.2		‡		‡		‡		24.3	!	‡		66.4	‡		‡		‡		28.5		16.1

! 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 estimate, 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).

¹Respondents were asked to choose, from a detailed list of various reasons, the most important reason in their decision to move schools between the 2020–21 and 2021–22 school years.

NOTE: Data are weighted estimates of the population. “Movers” are teachers who were still teachers in the 2021–22 TFS school year but had moved to a different school from their 2020–21 NTPS school. In the 2021–22 school year, 7.8 percent of teachers were categorized as “movers” (7.9 percent for public school teachers and 6.4 percent for private school teachers). Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2020–21 National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS) and 2021–22 Teacher Follow-up Survey (TFS), "Current Teacher Data File," 2021–22.