Florida teachers share ‘brutal’ truth behind why so many keep leaving [Video]

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — While you likely won’t find a teacher who says money is what drew them into the classroom, in Florida, it’s a top reason driving them out.

That’s according to our review of more than 650 exit interviews conducted since 2023 with Florida teachers from Hillsborough County, Pinellas County, and Palm Beach County, who all chose to leave their jobs in the classrooms.

According to our analysis of the voluntary exit interviews:

• about a third of teachers who filled out these surveys cited moving and relocation as a major reason for leaving.
• nearly a quarter listed salary as a top area of concern.
• Other notable factors for leaving included stress and lack of support from districts.

Investigative Reporter Katie LaGrone obtained these firsthand sentiments through a public records request following our investigation in January, which found that last school year, more than 18,000 Florida teachers left their districts. 

At the time, the separations represented nearly 10% of the state’s publicly employed teachers.

In Hillsborough County, the district lost more …