Though the largest school district in Tennessee, Memphis-Shelby County Schools has seen nearly 20% percent of its educators resign since 2024 (compared to the statewide average of 12%).
Unlike other school districts, MSCS does not conduct exit interviews with resigning teachers, so the local reasons for this mass educational exodus are harder to identify.
However, an independent study conducted by Chalkbeat of 10 former and current MSCS educators on this matter has revealed that common reasons for quitting include disagreements with school leadership, lack of classroom resources, declining test scores, and inadequate pay.
In an attempt to address these issues, MSCS leaders have proposed such solutions as “differential teacher pay,” which would mean offering higher salaries to teachers based on performance or high-need subjects and schools.
“I want everybody to have a competitive wage,” Superintendent Roderick Richmond said. “I want us to be able to retain every single teacher. I’m committed to that, but we just have a lot of different factors that we have to consider.”
This topic looms large as the subject of a state takeover of MSCS is fresh on the minds of Memphians and educators alike.
