A recently released report from the Bureau of Legislative Research has found that a third of Arkansas’ teachers leave the profession after just three years; the report found that most teachers reported leaving because of workload and stress.

"To stay in the profession, teachers said, more pay and better benefits would help, but reducing paperwork and administrative burdens was the No. 2 priority for improving retention,” according to Arkansas Online.

Arkansas teachers reported feeling a lack of support as well as a lack of autonomy in their respective classrooms, leading them to opt for different career paths.

Unfortunately, a separate report from the Bureau of Legislative Research found that the state is in dire need of specialized teachers- including special education teachers.

The average salary for Arkansas teachers is slightly over the national average at $43,015; the Arkansas Department of Education said it is reviewing things like paperwork burden to work on strengthening retention rates.

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Article by Nicole Gorman, Education World Contributor