Last year, 22 faculty left my school; this year, it was 17. Talking with my fellow teachers, it seems the numbers in many schools across the district are similar. Long ago, when I began my career, positions in Santa Barbara Unified were so coveted that many would-be teachers were willing to substitute for years just to get a chance to work here. Now I am often asked, “Why is there such high teacher turnover?”
My answer is, “The perfect storm.”
Several factors have collided into creating conditions that drive teachers away from highly desirable Santa Barbara.