Hechinger Report | Fewer than half of U.S. teachers report satisfaction with their jobs, annual survey finds

Hechinger Report | Fewer than half of U.S. teachers report satisfaction with their jobs, annual survey finds:

Fewer than half of U.S. teachers report satisfaction with their jobs, annual survey finds

by Sarah Carr

Public-school teacher satisfaction has dropped significantly over the last two years, according to a national survey of hundreds of teachers released today by the insurance giant MetLife.

In 2009, nearly 60 percent of teachers polled said they were very satisfied with their jobs, but only 44 percent reported high satisfaction levels in a similar survey conducted last year.

The survey’s authors link the increased frustration to the downturn in the economy and related budget cuts in many districts. They note that hundreds of teachers reported increased class sizes; cuts to school-based social services or health programs; and schoolchildren who are more likely to come to school hungry than they were a