Thousands of NC teachers quit before getting a full license, new data shows

North Carolina's fastest-growing teacher population is career-switchers on limited licenses. But they say the time and costs required to get a full license is too much to stay in the profession.
Posted 7/4/2025, 10:00:56 PM Updated 7/5/2025, 12:58:16 AM

HITTING EMMA IN THE LEG IS IN

JAIL ON NO BOND.

>> SOUTH CAROLINA'S FASTEST

GROWING TEACHER SEGMENT IS

HEADING FOR THE EXIT AT HIGH

RATES. THEIR TEMPORARY TEACHERS

WHO SWITCHED CAREERS FROM OTHER

FIELDS. THE BUREAU'S EDUCATION

INSIDER, EMILY WALKING OR JUST

SPOKE WITH SOME OF THEM WHO

SAID THEY DIDN'T WANT TO QUIT,

BUT THEY REALIZE QUALIFYING

FOR LONG-TERM TEACHING

POSITIONS WAS HARDER THAN THEY

EXPECTED US.

>> NEARLY HALF OF NORTH

CAROLINA'S NEW TEACHERS ARE

CAREER SWITCHERS, SAVING PUBLIC

SCHOOLS. FROM MORE EMPTY

CLASSROOMS. MORE THAN 2000 OF

THEM QUIT LAST YEAR THAT

CONCERNS ALLISON WINDS LURE

OF TEACHER PREP PROGRAM

PATHWAYS TO PRACTICE. I THINK

IT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT

PROFESSION TO KEEP TEACHING

AFTER 3 YEARS, TEACHERS WITH

TEMPORARY LICENSES MUST

COMPLETE AN EDUCATOR

PREPARATION PROGRAM. THEY COST

THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS AND

STUDENTS TYPICALLY AREN'T

ELIGIBLE FOR FINANCIAL AID.

TEACHERS SAY CONTINUING TO

TEACH WOULD BE EASIER IF THEY

COULD GET A DOOR CREDIT FOR

RELEVANT EXPERIENCE. HAYDEN

STEVENS TEACHES BIOLOGY IN

RALEIGH AND THINKS THE EDUCATOR

PREPARATION PROGRAM IS WORTH

IT. IT'S A LOT. I'M NOT GONNA

LIE. I STARTED THE PPE LAST

JULY.

>> SO IT ONLY HAD ABOUT A MONTH

TO WORK RIGHT BEFORE I STARTED

TEACHING.

AND IT'S VERY QUICKLY BECAME

A LOT TO MANAGE. STEVEN SAYS

REQUIRED LESSONS ARE OFTEN NOT

RELEVANT. A HIGH SCHOOL SCIENCE

GIVING THEM.

>> MORE TAILORED GUIDANCE TO

THE ROLE THAT THEY WANT TO HAVE

WOULD MAKE IT MORE MANAGEABLE

AND MORE ENJOYABLE. WIND, SOLAR

SYMPATHIZES WITH TEACHERS WHO

STRUGGLED TO COMPLETE THE

LICENSURE PROGRAM. THE PROGRAM

SHE DIRECTS CAN BE COMPLETED

AND PAID FOR AT THE STUDENTS ON

PACE, TEACHER TURNOVER IS

LARGELY DUE TO MANY TIMES DUE

TO FEELING UNPREPARED. HER

GROUP IS NOW WORKING THROUGH

ACCREDITATION THAT COULD HELP

STUDENTS QUALIFY FOR FINANCIAL

AID.