The Impact of Demographics and Working Condition Factors : The Impact of Demographics and Working Condition Factors of Rural School Districts on Teacher Retention

The pool of qualified teachers is dwindling and will not be sufficient to support the growing demands for highly qualified teachers. Increased graduation and certification requirements, technology changes, greater employment opportunities for minorities and a decline in academic abilities appear to contribute to the limited number of teachers. In addition to look to increasing the pool of applicants, school districts may want to consider investigating retention patterns of their teachers as well as variables that affect a teacher's decision to remain in the classroom and focusing on programs that reduce the attrition rate. However, small and rural schools face a distinct set of challenges with regard to locale, regional socio-economic conditions and trends, and attracting, retaining and supporting talented teachers. Often teachers in these communities are expected to have knowledge, skills and certification in multiple subject areas. The purpose for this study is to identify those variables that are significant indicators of teacher's reasons for remaining in a rural school district.