States in West and Midwest Lead Nation in Teacher Respect
Nevada, Louisiana residents see less respect for their educators
This article is part of a weeklong series analyzing how education leaders, students, and teachers evaluate education in America. The series will feature Americans' opinions on topics such as the Common Core, a uniform set of academic skills and competencies in U.S. schools; the quality of public K-12 education; the level of respect for U.S. teachers; and the viability of online higher education.
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Residents living in several states in the West and Midwest lead the nation in saying teachers in their communities are well-respected. Nevadans and Louisianans are among the least likely to say this about their local teachers -- slightly more than six in 10 residents in each state say their teachers are well-respected.
The results are based on a special 50-state Gallup poll conducted June-December 2013, including interviews with at least 600 residents in every state, allowing Gallup to report Americans' perceptions of public education at the state level for the first time. The complete list for all 50 states is on page 2.
Eight of the states where residents are most likely to say teachers are well-respected also topped the lists of states in which residents say public school quality is excellent or good and students are well-prepared for workplace success. North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, Nebraska, Minnesota, Wyoming, Montana, and Kansas have strong economies with some of the lowest unemployment rates nationwide, which may help fuel a sense of optimism in local communities about their schools and teachers. Wyoming, Alaska, and Maine are near the top of the list of states in terms of per pupil expenditures for students in public elementary and secondary education, which may be reflected in the high respect rankings.
Five of the states where residents are least likely to say teachers are well-respected -- Nevada, Louisiana, New Mexico, Mississippi, and Illinois -- also appear among the list of states where residents least frequently rate the quality of education as excellent or good. These states face a more challenging economic landscape with unemployment rates exceeding 9% in Nevada and Illinois and poverty levels of 20% or higher in New Mexico, Louisiana, and Mississippi.
Bottom Line
Although a clear majority of residents from each state in the union perceive that teachers in their local areas are well-respected, Gallup's latest research in the State of America's Schools report indicates that, overall, teachers don't feel they get much respect at work. In fact, according to the report teachers are last among occupational groups Gallup regularly tracks nationally in terms of their likelihood to say their opinions seem to count at work -- an important element in measuring workplace engagement. When teachers' engagement levels drop, as States in West and Midwest Lead Nation in Teacher Respect: