Complete Coverage

Trend Tracker: Teaching's Generation Gap

By Bryan Toporek

Teachers’ views on compensation and job expectations can vary depending upon age and experience, according to a recent survey analysis. However, the study, conducted by Learning Point Associates and Public Agenda, also found that there are certain professional realms in which educators are in consensus, regardless of their age and experience, including their desire to have meaningful collaborative experiences and their strong opposition to linking pay to student performance.

The report’s findings and policy recommendations seek a better understanding of the high turnover of Generation Y public school teachers—those born between 1977 and 1995. With an attrition rate that is 44 percent greater than that of their older colleagues (Generation X and Baby Boomers), Gen Y teachers also have different traits and expectations, according to the writers of the study. They came of age during an era of rapid growth in digital technology, they tend to have a strong sense of social responsibility, and a need for frequent feedback.

Teacher Performance