E3 Alliance Report Reveals Key Trends in Texas Teacher Retention Over a Decade

Pandemic Disrupts Stable Trend, Revealing Disparities by Race, Gender, and Subject Area
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

AUSTIN, Texas — November 6, 2025– A new report from E3 Alliance, titled “Trends in Texas Teacher Retention 2013-2023: Should I Stay or Should I Go?“, highlights critical patterns in the Texas teaching workforce. The study reveals that while teacher retention was stable before the pandemic, it declined during the COVID-19 era, with a modest rebound in 2023. 

According to the report, about 90% of Texas teachers returned to the classroom each year from 2013 to 2020. However, this trend was disrupted by the pandemic. The retention rate began to decline, falling to 86.7% in 2022.  In 2023, retention showed a modest rebound, increasing by 1.1%. 

The study identifies specific groups of educators who are more likely to remain in the profession. Non-White teachers, for example, are more likely to continue teaching in Texas compared to their White counterparts. Hispanic teachers are 39% more likely to stay, while Black teachers are 8% more likely, and Asian teachers are 7% more likely to remain than their White peers.   

Other key findings from the report include: 

  • Educators teaching English Language Arts, Science, and Math are more likely to leave their positions compared to teachers who teach multiple subjects. 
  • Male teachers are more likely to stay in Texas classrooms than their female colleagues both before and after the pandemic.  
  • Teachers who lack a known certification are 70% less likely to continue teaching in Texas compared to those with a standard certification. The number of teachers without a known certification has risen from less than 1% in 2013 to 6.1% in 2023. 

The report concludes that while recruiting high-quality educators is a crucial challenge, addressing teacher retention is an equally important part of solving educator shortages in Texas schools. 

Interview Availability: Annelies Rhodes, senior director of research and data, and the author of this report, is available for interviews to discuss its key findings and their implications. To schedule a media interview or to request a quote, please contact E3 Alliance Communications. 

  • Email: comms@e3alliance.org 
  • Phone: 512-223-7255 
Our report — “Trends in Texas Teacher Retention 2013-2023: Should I Stay or Should I Go?” — looks at factors that correlate to longevity in the classroom, including a teacher’s race/ethnicity, gender, certification pathway and the subject they teach.