As Fauquier High School celebrates its 61st anniversary, the rapid decline in teachers is becoming increasingly evident. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the teaching profession is currently experiencing its lowest levels of employment in 50 years. While many factors contribute to high turnover rates in schools, at Fauquier High School, financial issues appear to be the primary motivator.
Paul Reynolds has been teaching in the math department at FHS for 38 years and has decided to make this year his last, deciding to retire in hopes of not being the person who “stays too long.” Reynolds agrees that the prime motivator of teachers moving to different counties is because of money, “There was a staff person on the hall here who’d been teaching for about ten years, and, she makes approximately $1,000 less than I do now after my 38 years and my master’s degree in Prince William County,” Reynolds says. School divisions in Virginia, like most U.S. school districts, compensate teachers based on their years of experience and education levels, however, Prince William County (PWC) pays significantly more per step than Fauquier County. The pay for a teacher who has received a bachelor’s degree and 10 years of experience will be paid a $60,000 salary in Fauquier County while in PWC they would be paid $76,000. This large gap in salary for teachers who have spent many years in schooling is a prime example of why moving counties would be beneficial.
Regardless of the reasons the teachers are leaving, in their place they leave an absence of traditionality. “Because to have traditionality you need staff that’s been around… then then it starts to feel industrialized,” Reynolds says. Beyond the vast knowledge experienced teachers have gained through schooling, they also bring an institution’s traditions and the continuity of educational practices. The turnover rate in a school staff can reflect on the environment, as well as a student’s ability to learn/focus. As the end of the school year approaches, the loss of the teachers will be upsetting but not surprising.
