Employee turnover is a concern for management in every job sector, because
human resources are what makes the organization (Maforah, 2015). When employees
are unhappy in their professions, they often leave, impacting the organization both
financially and culturally. Dissatisfied employees remaining in their positions
may be experiencing what is known as “job lock” (the feeling of being ‘stuck’
at their job). (Huysse-Gaytandjieva, Groot, & Pavolva, 2013). This can also result
in addition costs to the organizations because of these employees’ negative
attitudes and withdrawal behaviors (Hanisch, 2002).

            While employee turnover
has a negative impact on any organization, the ramifications of job turnover in
education can be particularly detrimental. One study found that “teacher turn over
has a significant and negative impact on student achievement in both math and
ELA. Moreover, teacher turnover is particularly harmful to the achievement of
students in schools with large populations of low-performing and Black students”
(Ronfeldt, Loeb, & Wyckoff, 2013, p.30). Additionally, students
experiencing a change in teacher during the school year report difficulty adjusting
to different teaching strategies and a lack of a quality student-teacher relationship
(Deen, 2016).

            In addition to teacher retention,
research has indicated other areas that impact student performance. One such
area is job satisfaction among teachers. Researchers have found a positive relationship
between teacher job satisfaction and achievement scores (Asif, Fakhra, Tahir,
& Shabbir, 2016). Teacher self-efficacy has also been found to positively influence
both students’ motivation and achievement (Mojavezi and Tamiz, 2012). Another
area impacting student achievement is teachers’ responsibility beliefs. One
study shows found that teachers with a commitment to their school’s mission, professional
community, and community partnerships can expect to “make a modest but significant
contribution to enhanced student achievement” (Ross and Gray, 2006, p. 812).

            As in many fields, there
are several professional organizations of which teachers can become members. By
and large, the goals of these organizations center around improving the
educational landscape for both students and teachers.  One of the core values of the National Education
Association is professionalism. The National Education Association believes “that
the expertise and judgment of education professionals

are critical to student success” (National Education Association, 2017).

The National Education Association, and organizations like it, provides its
members with a variety of resources. These resources include instructional and
professional development, government relations, and financial benefits. The goal
in providing these resources is that members will have the tools they need to
feel equipped and prepared, be effective teachers, and ultimately have longevity
in the profession.