ABSTRACT
Most teachers leave their school or the profession within their first 2 years during a prolonged role-assessment process. Beginning teachers need less demanding classes, support and feedback, and opportunities for collaboration. Debates about the value of tenure are more thoroughly discussed elsewhere, but given the tension surrounding teacher tenure it is worth examining its relation to educational equity. In 2018, a statistically improbable 90% of teachers in the United States had tenure. If tenure reduces the likelihood of dismissal despite poor performance, and a raise is guaranteed either way, teachers may become complacent and apathetic. Innovative thinking about educational careers is vital to increase workforce diversity. Teachers’ emotional well-being is becoming increasingly important with the surge of school shootings, economic crises, and the COVID-19 pandemic— all of which have drastically increased work demands. Teachers will recognize and appreciate investment in their professional and personal selves and hopefully reciprocate by remaining at the school.
