Students need qualified and caring adults to guide their academic and socioemotional development. In the United States and abroad, experienced and novice educators are leaving the profession at an accelerated pace, and the pipeline of individuals enrolled in teacher preparation programs has declined. Framed under Maslow's theoretical framework of human motivation, this mixed-methods study examines how Catholic and public school K-12 teachers perceive factors impacting their motivation to remain employed in their educational setting. The five research questions that guided this study were: Based on survey and interview data, what do Catholic and public school teachers perceive about how their physiological needs, safety needs, love and belonging needs, self-esteem, and self-actualization needs in their place of employment? The quantitative portion of this study used a convenience sample of 84 Catholic and public school teachers to complete an anonymous 5-point Likert survey. The qualitative portion of this study used a sample of eight Catholic and public school teachers who participated in semi-structured interviews. The results of the quantitative portion revealed that Catholic and public school teachers perceived their school environments and cultures in a statistically significant different manner. Data indicated that Catholic teachers felt more supported and respected in their communities, and could express themselves without fear of retaliation at higher rates. At the same time, the qualitative data provided insights into why this might be true. In keeping with existing literature, this revealed that compensation was not the primary motivation behind retention. [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.]