Do Teachers Really Leave for Higher Paying Jobs in Alternative Occupations?
49 Pages
Posted: 15 May 2006
University of Western Ontario - Department of Economics
Georgia College & State University; Kennesaw State University - Michael J. Coles College of Business
Georgia State University
Date Written: November 2004
Abstract
In this paper we examine one of the fundamental beliefs underlying education policy - that the majority of teacher attrition is caused by the attractiveness of higher-paying alternative occupations. Using unique data from the state of Georgia that are created by merging administrative data from the educational system with wage records from the Unemployment Insurance system, we find very strong evidence that this common perception is not correct. A simple theoretical framework indicates that correct information about what teachers do when they leave teaching is important from the standpoint of designing effective education policy and that the current existence of incorrect information may have quite harmful effects. The paper discusses why incorrect information of this type might arise and why it has been able to persist.
Suggested Citation:
Suggested Citation
Stinebrickner, Todd R. and Scafidi, Benjamin P. and Sjoquist, David L., Do Teachers Really Leave for Higher Paying Jobs in Alternative Occupations? (November 2004). Andrew Young School of Policy Studies Research Paper Series No. 06-50. Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=902027 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.902027
