The author of this article posits that some teachers leave the profession because they entered it with unrealistic expectations, and that the reality of multiple preparations, unpaid orientation sessions, and large student loads is overburdening.for new teachers. Many new teachers leave their positions because of the dissonance between their expectations of "an extremely high level of success" in their first year of teaching and the frustration they experience in the realities of the high school setting. Simos also points out that teachers face testing challenges, particularly when student performance has a significant effect on teacher evaluation. With recent changes in educational policy, the increased role of pay for performance could be a concern for those interested in new teacher retention. An effective mentor program matters a great deal in retaining teachers. Such a program must focus consistently on professional development, extend the work begun at the university, and connect newcomers to a professional learning community. The increasingly common use of the Professional Learning Community model has been a boon to novice educators. This model allows new practitioners to work in concert with veteran staff members to more precisely focus their efforts on determining what practices are and are not successful in the classroom; the conversations that proceed are centered on student learning and the practices that best support it.