Nearly Half of California Teachers Plan to Quit Within 10 Years

Survey finds state's teachers are older, demoralized and eyeing the exits at a much higher rate than national average

Published on Mar. 11, 2026

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Somewhere between 40% and 49% of California's public school teachers plan to retire or quit within the next ten years, according to Education Week's 2026 State of Teaching Report. This figure dwarfs the national rate of 36% and points to a potential crisis in staffing classrooms across the state.

Why it matters

In a state already struggling to staff classrooms, the high rate of teachers planning to leave the profession within the next decade could lead to a slow-motion collapse of the education system. With an aging workforce and declining morale, California faces the prospect of losing experienced teachers and struggling to find qualified replacements.

The details

The survey drew responses from 5,802 K-12 public school teachers in California, part of a three-year data set totaling 9,892 educators nationwide. The findings show that California teachers are older on average (45.5 years) compared to the national average (42.9 years), which likely contributes to the higher rate of planned retirements. However, the survey also found that nearly half of all U.S. teachers say they expect to eventually leave education for another field entirely, indicating a broader decline in teacher morale and job satisfaction.

  • The 2026 State of Teaching Report surveyed teachers over a three-year period.

The players

Holly Kurtz

Director of the Education Week Research Center, who offered an explanation for why California's teacher retirement numbers run higher than the national average.

California Teachers Association

The state's teachers union, which released a report in January mirroring the broader findings that 40% of educators are considering leaving education and 45% cite financial issues as a factor.

United Educators of San Francisco

The union representing San Francisco teachers, who went on strike in February 2026 demanding higher pay, marking the first strike of San Francisco educators since 1979.

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What’s next

The California Department of Education did not respond to requests for comment on the survey findings, raising questions about how state officials plan to address the potential teacher exodus.

The takeaway

California's teacher shortage crisis highlights broader dysfunction in the state's education system, where decades of prioritizing ideological ambition over institutional competence have demoralized the teaching workforce and left families with few options as experienced teachers flee the profession.