In Pandemic, More Teachers Opt to Retire

Statistics from the Virginia Retirement System suggest COVID-19 has exacerbated the state's teacher shortage. There were nearly 500 more teacher retirements than normal during the 2020-21 school year, when many public school districts switched to online-only or hybrid instruction. VRS data also shows that mid-year retirements during the current school year continued to run above expected levels.

Teacher Retirements Per School Year

Mid-Year Retirements: October-March

Source: VPAP analysis of data from the Virginia Retirement System.

Correction: The original version of this visual published on June 6 had an incorrect (lower) average of teacher retirements from 2017-2020. The correction was made on June 9.