SC Teacher Exit Survey reveals why some educators are leaving and why some are staying

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WSPA) – A new statewide survey reveals what could be driving teachers out of the classroom in South Carolina, and what might convince them to stay.

The SC Teacher Exit Survey, conducted by SC Teacher, a research organization funded by the South Carolina General Assembly, was designed to offer insight into how working conditions relate to teachers’ decisions to work in another school district or leave the classroom entirely. The 2025 survey gathered responses from over 900 teachers across 41 school districts statewide.

“I think the biggest thing we gleaned from the results is positive news,” said Angela Starrett assistant professor of educational research and measurement in the College of Education at USC, and Director of Research for SC Teacher.

According to Starrett, while many teachers decided not to renew their contracts this year, most are not leaving education altogether.

“What we see is that, by and large, most teachers that are leaving are lateral movers. So, they are leaving their district to go and teach in another district,” Starrett said.

The survey found that 36% of teachers who are leaving their districts remain in South Carolina public schools. When retirees are excluded, that number is even higher, over half of the teachers who took the survey are staying in state education.

These findings offer a mix of positive, but also some concerning news. While many educators are continuing to teach within South Carolina, the survey highlights ongoing challenges teachers face.

Starrett noted that motivations vary depending on whether teachers are retiring or simply leaving their positions.

“Teachers retiring are more motivated by higher salaries. Whereas teachers choosing to leave the profession can actually be motivated by things like protected planning, and smaller class sizes. ”

The results reinforce what many educators and policymakers have long observed: working conditions, not just pay, play a major role in teacher retention. SC Teacher reported that a significant portion of respondents cited lack of resources, growing demands, and policy pressures as key reasons behind their decision to leave.

“Lack of resources drove their decisions, demands, policy reasons, personal reasons, and career reasons…Better work life balance seems to be the primary driver of the change.”

Education advocates say these results underscore the importance of fostering supportive school cultures where both students and teachers can thrive and succeed.

“Telling us how important the school climate is, that it’s important how our students feel, but it’s also important how our faculty members feel,” Dena R. Crews, South Carolina Education Association president, said.

SC Teacher provides findings for school districts, and their goal is to help leaders use data to identify what’s working and address the challenges that make educators feel undervalued or overwhelmed.

In January, SC Teacher plans to release new survey results examining school administrators’ working conditions.