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Viral Change: Trends in Michigan Teacher Attrition and Mobility before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic

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Title: Viral Change: Trends in Michigan Teacher Attrition and Mobility before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Language: English
Authors: Salem Rogers, Tyler Powell, Katharine O. Strunk, Bryant G. Hopkins
Source: Education Finance and Policy. 2026 21(1):146-176.
Availability: MIT Press. 55 Hayward Street, Cambridge, MA 02142. Tel: 617-253-2889; Fax: 617-253-1709; e-mail: journals-rights@mit.edu; Web site: http://www.mitpressjournals.org/loi/edfp
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 31
Publication Date: 2026
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Secondary Education
Descriptors: Faculty Mobility, Public School Teachers, Charter Schools, Public Schools, Teacher Supply and Demand, COVID-19, Pandemics, Teacher Transfer, Distance Education, In Person Learning, Blended Learning, Teacher Characteristics, Institutional Characteristics, School Districts, Elementary Secondary Education
Geographic Terms: Michigan
DOI: 10.1162/edfp.a.18
ISSN: 1557-3060
1557-3079
Abstract: We use administrative data on Michigan school teachers in an interrupted time series framework to understand how teacher attrition may have shifted after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and into the years following the pandemic. While teachers stayed in place following the 2019-20 school year, they subsequently were more likely to leave the profession, less likely to leave their districts, and no more or less likely to switch schools within their district in the years following relative to pre-pandemic trends. This resulted in an average annual additional 1.1 percentage point loss of the teacher workforce due to the pandemic. Teachers in districts that offered fully in-person instruction during the 2020-21 school year were more likely to leave the teaching profession or switch districts following the 2019-20 and 2020-21 school years compared with teachers in fully remote districts. We also present results by teacher characteristic and school setting, finding school setting to be more predictive of attrition than teacher characteristics. We do not find evidence that the pandemic exacerbated inequality; in fact, teachers in charter schools, schools with higher shares of non-White students, and higher shares of economically disadvantaged students were generally less likely to attrit.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: EJ1497265
Database: ERIC
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  Data: Viral Change: Trends in Michigan Teacher Attrition and Mobility before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Salem+Rogers%22">Salem Rogers</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Tyler+Powell%22">Tyler Powell</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Katharine+O%2E+Strunk%22">Katharine O. Strunk</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Bryant+G%2E+Hopkins%22">Bryant G. Hopkins</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Education+Finance+and+Policy%22"><i>Education Finance and Policy</i></searchLink>. 2026 21(1):146-176.
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  Data: MIT Press. 55 Hayward Street, Cambridge, MA 02142. Tel: 617-253-2889; Fax: 617-253-1709; e-mail: journals-rights@mit.edu; Web site: http://www.mitpressjournals.org/loi/edfp
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  Data: Y
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  Data: 31
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  Data: 2026
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  Data: Journal Articles<br />Reports - Research
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Elementary+Secondary+Education%22">Elementary Secondary Education</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Faculty+Mobility%22">Faculty Mobility</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Public+School+Teachers%22">Public School Teachers</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Charter+Schools%22">Charter Schools</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Public+Schools%22">Public Schools</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Teacher+Supply+and+Demand%22">Teacher Supply and Demand</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22COVID-19%22">COVID-19</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Pandemics%22">Pandemics</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Teacher+Transfer%22">Teacher Transfer</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Distance+Education%22">Distance Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22In+Person+Learning%22">In Person Learning</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Blended+Learning%22">Blended Learning</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Teacher+Characteristics%22">Teacher Characteristics</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Institutional+Characteristics%22">Institutional Characteristics</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22School+Districts%22">School Districts</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Elementary+Secondary+Education%22">Elementary Secondary Education</searchLink>
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  Label: Geographic Terms
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Michigan%22">Michigan</searchLink>
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  Data: 10.1162/edfp.a.18
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  Data: 1557-3060<br />1557-3079
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  Data: We use administrative data on Michigan school teachers in an interrupted time series framework to understand how teacher attrition may have shifted after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and into the years following the pandemic. While teachers stayed in place following the 2019-20 school year, they subsequently were more likely to leave the profession, less likely to leave their districts, and no more or less likely to switch schools within their district in the years following relative to pre-pandemic trends. This resulted in an average annual additional 1.1 percentage point loss of the teacher workforce due to the pandemic. Teachers in districts that offered fully in-person instruction during the 2020-21 school year were more likely to leave the teaching profession or switch districts following the 2019-20 and 2020-21 school years compared with teachers in fully remote districts. We also present results by teacher characteristic and school setting, finding school setting to be more predictive of attrition than teacher characteristics. We do not find evidence that the pandemic exacerbated inequality; in fact, teachers in charter schools, schools with higher shares of non-White students, and higher shares of economically disadvantaged students were generally less likely to attrit.
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  Data: 2026
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  Data: EJ1497265
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=eric&AN=EJ1497265
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        Value: 10.1162/edfp.a.18
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      – Text: English
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        PageCount: 31
        StartPage: 146
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Faculty Mobility
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Public School Teachers
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Charter Schools
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Public Schools
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Teacher Supply and Demand
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: COVID-19
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Pandemics
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Teacher Transfer
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Distance Education
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: In Person Learning
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Blended Learning
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Teacher Characteristics
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Institutional Characteristics
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: School Districts
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Elementary Secondary Education
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Michigan
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Viral Change: Trends in Michigan Teacher Attrition and Mobility before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic
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