Saying Good-Bye

After 36 years at West Brookfield Elementary in Massachusetts, second-grade teacher Nancy  Dyjak plans to retire in June. “It’s been very fulfilling—and I think because of the involvement of the community, the caring of the teachers, it just flew by,” she says.

Dyjak isn’t alone in turning off her alarm clock. Forty percent of public school teachers plan to quit school within five years, according to the National Center for Education Information, and most say it’s because they’ll be retiring.

Look around the teachers’ lounge—this is a rapidly graying profession. In 1996, about one out of four teachers were 50 or older. By 2005, 42 percent were. And it’s a particularly acute problem in high schools, where fully 50 percent plan to leave by 2010.

It’s a dilemma, no doubt. But policymakers often take the wrong approach to fixing it, says University of Pennsylvania’s Richard Ingersoll. Instead of pumping big money and energy into recruitment, he suggests focusing on retaining young teachers, who often leave within the first five years. Administrative support and mentors are crucial to keeping them, he says.

That was never a problem for Dyjak, whose husband spent 35 years at West Brookfield, eventually as its principal—he’s retiring, too. “Whoever will fill my shoes will definitely be in my caring place,” she says.

Photos: Clock - Photodisc; Retirees: Dan Gould/Worcester Telegram & Gazette