Tennessee classrooms are losing teachers at a higher rate than any other state in the nation, according to a new report from the National Education Association.

The report found Tennessee saw the largest percentage decline in its teacher workforce between the 2023-24 and 2024-25 school years, losing 10.36% of its educators during that period, or more than 7,400 teachers.

JC Bowman, executive director and CEO of Professional Educators of Tennessee, said the findings are concerning, but not surprising.

The report also ranks the Volunteer State 40th in the country for average teacher pay at around $64,000 a year, but Bowman argues that’s only a piece of the problem.

“Teachers don’t leave on pay alone,” he said. “It’s the working conditions, the behavior of students that are creeping in. It’s just gotten out of control.”

Teachers are being asked to do more than ever before, including dealing with kindergarteners, first graders, and even second graders who aren’t potty-trained. That, in addition to higher workloads, less freedom, and over testing, is a recipe for disaster when it comes to retaining teachers, according to Bowman.

“It just doesn’t make sense with how we see some principals and administrators treat their teachers, and teachers feel it,” Bowman said. “Teachers are saying, ‘You know what? I’ll walk away from this. It’s not that much money, and I can go get a job somewhere else.’”

The loss of teachers can be costly for school districts. Bowman estimates it costs about $15,000 to recruit a single teacher.

The shortage continues to be felt across Tennessee. According to the Tennessee Department of Education’s job board, nearly 2,200 educator positions are currently open statewide.