Survey: Nearly half of teachers would quit now for higher-paying job
They may be smiling, America, but your public school teachers are a frustrated bunch.
About six in 10 are losing enthusiasm for the job, and just as many say they spend too much time prepping students for state-mandated tests. Nearly half say they’d quit teaching now if they could find a higher-paying job.
The grim findings come from a wide-ranging survey of K-12 public school teachers released Thursday by the Washington, D.C.-based Center on Education Policy, a centrist think tank. Maria Ferguson, executive director for the center, said the results show teachers are “constantly feeling yanked in a million different directions.”
In all, 3,328 teachers completed the 67-question online survey last fall. Among the findings:
- 62% of teachers say they spend too much time prepping students for state-mandated tests.
- 81% of teachers say students spend too much time taking those tests.
- 60% of teachers say they “don’t seem to have as much enthusiasm now” as when they started teaching.
While 64% say they like their school and are part of “a satisfied group” of teachers, 49% say the stress and disappointments “aren’t really worth it.” And 49% also say they’d leave teaching “as soon as possible” if they could find a higher-paying job.
Some even share similar feelings as their students: 42% of teachers agreed with the statement “I think about staying home from school because I am just too tired to go.”