Educator shortages have become a reality in public education, and, while research has documented reasons teachers leave the profession, there has been limited research into why teachers choose to stay. The purpose of this study was to identify factors that keep teachers who serve in Title I schools in the profession to their mid-career (10-15 years). This study was conducted with 10 White female teachers working in suburban Texas elementary schools using a qualitative grounded theory approach. The data were collected through demographic surveys, and semi-structured remote interviews with the participants. Findings of the study indicated that there were personal, professional, and interrelated factors that contributed to teachers choosing to stay in their roles as classroom teachers. All findings were supported in the literature as factors why teachers remain in the profession with exception of deficit thinking. This finding led to the development of the emergent theory where teacher autonomy and unchallenged deficit thinking were novel factors identified with participants in this study. The findings indicate several implications for practice, such as additional trainings in leadership preparation programs that include research-based strands for the supervision of teachers. Additionally, the findings indicate that teachers need training on developing relationships with stakeholders and developing cultural responsiveness. Based on the findings, recommendations for policy and future research are also provided. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]