{"id":187849,"date":"2024-09-24T16:00:10","date_gmt":"2024-09-24T20:00:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/?post_type=short-read&#038;p=187849"},"modified":"2024-09-24T16:00:13","modified_gmt":"2024-09-24T20:00:13","slug":"key-facts-about-public-school-teachers-in-the-u-s","status":"publish","type":"short-read","link":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/short-reads\/2024\/09\/24\/key-facts-about-public-school-teachers-in-the-u-s\/","title":{"rendered":"Key facts about public school teachers in the U.S."},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-640-wide\"><a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/?attachment_id=187877\"><img data-dominant-color=\"afa5a0\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" style=\"--dominant-color: #afa5a0;\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/09\/SR_24.09.16_FactsAboutTeachers_feature.jpg?resize=480,270 480w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/09\/SR_24.09.16_FactsAboutTeachers_feature.jpg?resize=782,440 782w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/09\/SR_24.09.16_FactsAboutTeachers_feature.jpg?resize=960,540 960w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/09\/SR_24.09.16_FactsAboutTeachers_feature.jpg?resize=1200,675 1200w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/09\/SR_24.09.16_FactsAboutTeachers_feature.jpg?resize=1280,720 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 480px) 480px, (max-width: 782px) 782px, 640px\" height=\"360\" width=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/09\/SR_24.09.16_FactsAboutTeachers_feature.jpg?w=640\" alt=\"Photo of a senior at Building 21 High School in Allentown, Pennsylvania, talking with his social studies teacher about his senior presentation on May 23, 2024. (Michelle Gustafson for The Washington Post via Getty Images)\" class=\"wp-image-187877 not-transparent\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A senior at Building 21 High School in Allentown, Pennsylvania, talks with his social studies teacher about his senior presentation on May 23, 2024. (Michelle Gustafson for The Washington Post via Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">U.S. public school teachers have spent 2024 in the spotlight. The Democratic vice presidential nominee, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.axios.com\/2024\/08\/21\/tim-walz-vice-president-timeline\">Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz<\/a>, has highlighted his previous career as a high school teacher and football coach. And a congressional hearing in June focused on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.edweek.org\/teaching-learning\/teachers-to-congress-we-shouldnt-have-to-work-second-jobs\/2024\/06\">multiple \u201ccrises\u201d facing public school teachers<\/a>, including low pay and overwork.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Here are some key facts about the <a href=\"https:\/\/nces.ed.gov\/programs\/coe\/indicator\/clr\/public-school-teachers\">3.8 million public school teachers<\/a> who work in America\u2019s classrooms. These findings primarily come from a fall 2023 Pew Research Center survey of public K-12 teachers and from federal data.<\/p>\n\n\n<div style=\"border-width:1px;padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);--block-gap: inherit\" class=\"wp-block-prc-block-collapsible has-background has-ui-beige-very-light-background-color has-border-color has-ui-beige-dark-border-color\" id=\"how-we-did-this\" data-wp-interactive=\"{&quot;namespace&quot;:&quot;prc-block\\\/collapsible&quot;}\" data-wp-context=\"{&quot;collapsibleId&quot;:&quot;how-we-did-this&quot;,&quot;isOpen&quot;:false}\" data-wp-class--is-open=\"context.isOpen\" data-wp-init--scroll-into-view=\"callbacks.onInitScrollIntoView\"><div class=\"wp-block-prc-block-collapsible__title\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.onClick\"><div>How we did this<\/div><button class=\"wp-block-prc-block-collapsible__icon\"><span data-wp-bind--hidden=\"context.isOpen\"><i class=\"icon icon-library__light icon__circle-plus\"><svg style=\"width: 1em; height: 1em;\"><use xlink:href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/plugins\/prc-icon-library\/build\/icons\/sprites\/light.svg#circle-plus\"><\/use><\/svg><\/i><\/span><span data-wp-bind--hidden=\"!context.isOpen\" hidden><i class=\"icon icon-library__light icon__circle-minus\"><svg style=\"width: 1em; height: 1em;\"><use xlink:href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/plugins\/prc-icon-library\/build\/icons\/sprites\/light.svg#circle-minus\"><\/use><\/svg><\/i><\/span><\/button><\/div><div class=\"wp-block-prc-block-collapsible__content\">\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This Pew Research Center analysis focuses on the demographics, experiences and hopes of K-12 public school teachers in the United States.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Demographic data comes from the <a href=\"https:\/\/nces.ed.gov\/\">National Center for Education Statistics<\/a> and the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bls.gov\/data\/\">U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Data on teachers\u2019 experiences primarily comes from a Center survey of 2,531 U.S. public K-12 teachers conducted from Oct. 17 to Nov. 14, 2023. This post also draws on our survey of 5,188 U.S. workers conducted from Feb. 6 to 12, 2023; it included both part-time and full-time workers who are not self-employed and have only one job or have more than one but consider one to be their primary job.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">More information about each survey, including the questions and methodology, can be found at the links in the text.<\/p>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignright size-310-wide\"><a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/?attachment_id=187869\"><img data-dominant-color=\"ebeceb\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" style=\"--dominant-color: #ebeceb;\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/09\/SR_24.09.16_FactsAboutTeachers_1.png?resize=480,847 480w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/09\/SR_24.09.16_FactsAboutTeachers_1.png?resize=620,1094 620w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 480px) 480px, (max-width: 782px) 782px, 640px\" height=\"547\" width=\"310\" src=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/09\/SR_24.09.16_FactsAboutTeachers_1.png?w=310\" alt=\"Bar chart showing that public K-12 teachers are more likely to be women or be in their 30s or 40s than are U.S. workers overall\" class=\"wp-image-187869 not-transparent\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"is-style-has-big-number wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Most K-12 public school teachers are women. <\/strong>About three-quarters (77%) of teachers are women and 23% are men, according to data from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) for the 2020-21 school year, which is the most recent one available. This gender imbalance is especially notable in elementary schools, where 89% of teachers are women. Women make up 72% of middle school teachers and 60% of secondary or high school teachers. <strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There is far more gender balance among U.S. workers overall, across different industries and occupations. In 2020, women accounted for 47% of workers ages 25 and older, compared with 53% who were men, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bls.gov\/cps\/cps_aa2020.htm#empstat\">Bureau of Labor Statistics data<\/a> shows. \u201cWorkers\u201d in this analysis are those ages 25 and older&nbsp;in the U.S. noninstitutionalized civilian population.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"is-style-has-big-number wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>The teaching force skews a bit younger than U.S. workers overall.<\/strong> Just 8% of K-12 public school teachers are at least 60 years old, but 16% of U.S. workers are at least 60. Public school teachers are more likely to be in their 30s and 40s than are U.S. workers overall (56% vs. 49%).\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignright size-420-wide\"><a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/?attachment_id=187870\"><img data-dominant-color=\"f5f5f4\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" style=\"--dominant-color: #f5f5f4;\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/09\/SR_24.09.16_FactsAboutTeachers_2.png?resize=480,805 480w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/09\/SR_24.09.16_FactsAboutTeachers_2.png?resize=782,1311 782w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/09\/SR_24.09.16_FactsAboutTeachers_2.png?resize=840,1408 840w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 480px) 480px, (max-width: 782px) 782px, 640px\" height=\"704\" width=\"420\" src=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/09\/SR_24.09.16_FactsAboutTeachers_2.png?w=420\" alt=\"Dot plot chart showing how the racial and ethnic makeup of U.S. public school teachers and students has changed from 1987-1988 to 2020-2021\" class=\"wp-image-187870 not-transparent\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"is-style-has-big-number wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>As a group, U.S. public school teachers are considerably less racially and ethnically diverse than their students,<\/strong> according to NCES data. In 2020-21, 80% of public school elementary and secondary teachers identified as non-Hispanic White. Much smaller shares were Hispanic (9%), Black (6%), Asian American or multiracial (2% each). And fewer than 1% identified as Pacific Islander or American Indian and Alaska Native.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">By comparison, just under half (46%) of all public school students were non-Hispanic White in 2020. Another 28% were Hispanic, 15% were Black and 5% were Asian. Meanwhile, 4% were multiracial, and about 1% or fewer were American Indian and Alaska Native or Pacific Islander.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The share of the teaching force who is White has declined 7 percentage points between the 1987-88 and 2020-21 school years, but the growth in teachers\u2019 racial and ethnic diversity still has not kept pace with the rapid growth in the diversity of their students over this time span. (<em>Note: In 2021, the Center published <a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/short-reads\/2021\/12\/10\/americas-public-school-teachers-are-far-less-racially-and-ethnically-diverse-than-their-students\/\">a more detailed version of this analysis<\/a>\u00a0using the most recent data available at that time.)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"is-style-has-big-number wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Only a third of teachers say they\u2019re extremely or very satisfied with their job overall,<\/strong> according to <a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/social-trends\/2024\/04\/04\/teachers-job-satisfaction\/\">a fall 2023 Center survey of public K-12 teachers<\/a>. About half (48%) say they\u2019re somewhat satisfied, while 18% say they are not too or not at all satisfied with their job.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignright size-420-wide\"><a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/?attachment_id=187872\"><img data-dominant-color=\"e6eae4\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" style=\"--dominant-color: #e6eae4;\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/09\/SR_24.09.16_FactsAboutTeachers_4-teacher-survey-01-02.png?resize=480,686 480w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/09\/SR_24.09.16_FactsAboutTeachers_4-teacher-survey-01-02.png?resize=782,1117 782w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/09\/SR_24.09.16_FactsAboutTeachers_4-teacher-survey-01-02.png?resize=840,1200 840w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 480px) 480px, (max-width: 782px) 782px, 640px\" height=\"600\" width=\"420\" src=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/09\/SR_24.09.16_FactsAboutTeachers_4-teacher-survey-01-02.png?w=420\" alt=\"Bar chart showing that K-12 public school teachers are highly satisfied with their relationships with fellow teachers; relatively few are satisfied with their pay\" class=\"wp-image-187872 not-transparent\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Teachers express much lower job satisfaction than U.S. workers overall: 51% of all employed adults say they are extremely or very satisfied with their job, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/social-trends\/2023\/03\/30\/how-americans-view-their-jobs\/\">a separate Center survey conducted in early 2023<\/a>. (Data for U.S. workers excludes those who are self-employed.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Teachers are especially dissatisfied with certain aspects of the job, including how much they are paid (51% say they are not too or not at all satisfied); the opportunities for training or ways to develop new skills (26%); and the benefits their employer provides (24%).<strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In fact, 29% of teachers said it was at least somewhat likely <a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/social-trends\/2024\/04\/04\/teachers-job-satisfaction\/st_24-04-04_teacher-survey_01_05-png\/\">they\u2019d look for a new job<\/a> in the 2023-24 school year. Among these teachers, 40% said it was at least somewhat likely they\u2019d look for a job outside of education entirely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"is-style-has-big-number wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Most teachers describe their job as stressful and overwhelming. <\/strong>Majorities of teachers say they find their job stressful (77%) or overwhelming (68%) extremely often or often. Some teachers are especially likely to experience this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignright size-420-wide\"><a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/?attachment_id=187873\"><img data-dominant-color=\"c8dbd7\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" style=\"--dominant-color: #c8dbd7;\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/09\/SR_24.09.16_FactsAboutTeachers_5-teacher-survey_02_06.png?resize=480,462 480w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/09\/SR_24.09.16_FactsAboutTeachers_5-teacher-survey_02_06.png?resize=782,752 782w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/09\/SR_24.09.16_FactsAboutTeachers_5-teacher-survey_02_06.png?resize=840,808 840w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 480px) 480px, (max-width: 782px) 782px, 640px\" height=\"404\" width=\"420\" src=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/09\/SR_24.09.16_FactsAboutTeachers_5-teacher-survey_02_06.png?w=420\" alt=\"Bar chart showing that among public K-12 teachers, women are more likely than men to say they often find their job stressful or overwhelming\" class=\"wp-image-187873 not-transparent\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Women:<\/strong> 74% of women teachers say they find teaching to be overwhelming extremely often or often, compared with 49% of men. And 80% of women teachers frequently find the job stressful, compared with 67% of men.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Elementary and middle school teachers:<\/strong> Educators at these levels are more likely than their counterparts at high schools to say that their job is frequently stressful and overwhelming.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Teachers\u2019 negative feelings may be related to the issues they report with understaffing. Seven-in-ten public K-12 teachers say their school is understaffed, with 15% saying it\u2019s <em>very<\/em> understaffed. Another 55% say their school is somewhat understaffed. This pattern is consistent across elementary, middle and high schools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignright size-310-wide\"><a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/?attachment_id=187874\"><img data-dominant-color=\"dbe5e3\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" style=\"--dominant-color: #dbe5e3;\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/09\/SR_24.09.16_FactsAboutTeachers_6-teacher-survey_02_07.png?resize=480,564 480w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/09\/SR_24.09.16_FactsAboutTeachers_6-teacher-survey_02_07.png?resize=620,728 620w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 480px) 480px, (max-width: 782px) 782px, 640px\" height=\"364\" width=\"310\" src=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/09\/SR_24.09.16_FactsAboutTeachers_6-teacher-survey_02_07.png?w=310\" alt=\"Bar chart showing that newer public K-12 teachers are more likely than those who have been in the field longer to say their job is often fulfilling or enjoyable\" class=\"wp-image-187874 not-transparent\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"is-style-has-big-number wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Newer teachers are the most likely to say their job is generally fulfilling and enjoyable. <\/strong>Overall, slim majorities of all K-12 public school teachers say they find their job fulfilling (56%) or enjoyable (53%) extremely often or often.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These sentiments are most common among those who\u2019ve been teaching for less than six years. For instance, 67% of teachers who have been teaching for five years or less say their job is fulfilling extremely often or often. That compares with 52% of teachers with six to 10 years of experience and 54% of those who\u2019ve been teaching for 11 years or more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"is-style-has-big-number wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Fewer people are completing the educational requirements to be hired as teachers <\/strong>\u2013 just one indicator of the field\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/hub.jhu.edu\/2022\/08\/15\/american-teacher-shortage-christopher-morphew\/\">growing pipeline problem<\/a>, NCES data shows. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.incontext.indiana.edu\/2010\/jan-feb\/article2.asp\">Many K-12 teachers<\/a>&nbsp;enter their line of work after getting a bachelor\u2019s degree in education, which includes a teacher preparation program. But some teachers instead meet license requirements through <a href=\"https:\/\/www.edweek.org\/teaching-learning\/teacher-preparation-explained-alternative-routes-enrollment-trends-and-more\/2024\/01\">alternative preparation programs<\/a>, offered through a college or university, state government, nonprofit or other organization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignright size-310-wide\"><a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/?attachment_id=187871\"><img data-dominant-color=\"f1f2f2\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" style=\"--dominant-color: #f1f2f2;\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/09\/SR_24.09.16_FactsAboutTeachers_3.png?resize=480,706 480w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/09\/SR_24.09.16_FactsAboutTeachers_3.png?resize=620,912 620w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 480px) 480px, (max-width: 782px) 782px, 640px\" height=\"456\" width=\"310\" src=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/09\/SR_24.09.16_FactsAboutTeachers_3.png?w=310\" alt=\"Line chart showing that In the U.S., the number of bachelor's degrees in education has declined overall since the 1970-71 school year\" class=\"wp-image-187871 not-transparent\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Both the number and share of new college graduates with a bachelor\u2019s degree in education have <a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/short-reads\/2022\/09\/27\/a-dwindling-number-of-new-u-s-college-graduates-have-a-degree-in-education\/\">decreased over the last few decades<\/a>. Yet during that span, the overall number and share of Americans with a college degree increased.<strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In 2021-22, the most recent year with available data, schools conferred about 89,000 education bachelor\u2019s degrees, making up 4% of the total issued that year. In 2000-01, roughly 105,000 undergraduates (8% of the total) graduated with bachelor\u2019s degrees in education.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.edweek.org\/teaching-learning\/fewer-people-are-getting-teacher-degrees-prep-programs-sound-the-alarm\/2022\/03\">Teacher preparation programs have also seen a steep decline in enrollment<\/a>&nbsp;in recent years, including both traditional programs associated with higher-education institutions and alternative ones. Between the 2012-13 and 2020-21 school years, the number of people who completed teacher prep programs dropped from about 190,000 to 160,000. In 2020-21, 13% of those prospective educators received their prep through alternative programs run by organizations other than&nbsp;institutions of higher education.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignright size-310-wide\"><a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/?attachment_id=187903\"><img data-dominant-color=\"cadbd8\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" style=\"--dominant-color: #cadbd8;\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/09\/SR_24.09.16_FactsAboutTeachers_9-teacher-survey_01_06.png?resize=480,613 480w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/09\/SR_24.09.16_FactsAboutTeachers_9-teacher-survey_01_06.png?resize=620,792 620w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 480px) 480px, (max-width: 782px) 782px, 640px\" height=\"396\" width=\"310\" src=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/09\/SR_24.09.16_FactsAboutTeachers_9-teacher-survey_01_06.png?w=310\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-187903 not-transparent\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"is-style-has-big-number wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Teachers are relatively split on whether they would advise young people to join the profession,<\/strong> according to the Center\u2019s fall 2023 survey. While 48% say they would recommend the profession to a young person starting out today, 52% say they would not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">High school teachers (56%) are more likely than middle school (46%) and elementary school (43%) teachers to recommend the job. This view is also more common among teachers with five years or less of teaching experience than among more veteran educators.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"is-style-has-big-number wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Teachers rate students in their school fairly low when it comes to academic performance and behavior. <\/strong>About half of K-12 public school teachers say the behavior (49%) and academic performance (48%) of most of students at their school is fair or poor. Meanwhile, just 17% say students\u2019 academic performance is excellent or very good, and 13% say the same about student behavior at their school.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignright size-310-wide\"><a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/?attachment_id=187875\"><img data-dominant-color=\"e3e7e3\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" style=\"--dominant-color: #e3e7e3;\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/09\/SR_24.09.16_FactsAboutTeachers_7-teacher-survey_04_01.png?resize=480,849 480w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/09\/SR_24.09.16_FactsAboutTeachers_7-teacher-survey_04_01.png?resize=620,1096 620w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 480px) 480px, (max-width: 782px) 782px, 640px\" height=\"548\" width=\"310\" src=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/09\/SR_24.09.16_FactsAboutTeachers_7-teacher-survey_04_01.png?w=310\" alt=\"Bar chart showing that 72% of public high school teachers say students being distracted by cellphones is a major problem\" class=\"wp-image-187875 not-transparent\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In addition to broader issues at their school, teachers report various challenges in their own classrooms. Teachers across all K-12 grade levels say certain student behaviors are major issues in their classroom:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Showing little to no interest in learning (47% of teachers say this is a major problem)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Being distracted by their cellphones (33%)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Getting up and walking around when they\u2019re not supposed to (21%)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Being disrespectful toward teachers (21%)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Certain problems are more prevalent for older or younger grade levels. For instance, high school teachers report bigger problems with <a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/short-reads\/2024\/06\/12\/72-percent-of-us-high-school-teachers-say-cellphone-distraction-is-a-major-problem-in-the-classroom\/\">cellphone distraction<\/a> (72% say it\u2019s a major problem) and students showing little to no interest in learning (58%). Meanwhile, elementary and middle school teachers are more likely than high school teachers to experience students getting up and walking around or being disrespectful toward teachers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignright size-310-wide\"><a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/?attachment_id=187876\"><img data-dominant-color=\"e4e8e7\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" style=\"--dominant-color: #e4e8e7;\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/09\/SR_24.09.16_FactsAboutTeachers_8-teacher-essay_1.png?resize=480,737 480w, https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/09\/SR_24.09.16_FactsAboutTeachers_8-teacher-essay_1.png?resize=620,952 620w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 480px) 480px, (max-width: 782px) 782px, 640px\" height=\"476\" width=\"310\" src=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/09\/SR_24.09.16_FactsAboutTeachers_8-teacher-essay_1.png?w=310\" alt=\"Bar chart showing that about half of public K-12 teachers want the public to know that teaching is a hard job\" class=\"wp-image-187876 not-transparent\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"is-style-has-big-number wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>About half of teachers (51%) say that if there\u2019s one thing they want the public to know about them, it\u2019s that teaching is a difficult job and teachers are hardworking.<\/strong> This was the most common response to <a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/social-trends\/2024\/04\/04\/what-public-k-12-teachers-want-americans-to-know-about-teaching\/\">an open-ended question we asked teachers last fall<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Another 22% of teachers said they want the public to know that teachers care about their students, and 17% want the public to know that teachers are undervalued.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Here are key facts about the 3.8 million public school teachers who work in America\u2019s classrooms and how they view their jobs.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":340,"featured_media":187877,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"sub_headline":"","sub_title":"","_prc_public_revisions":[],"_ppp_expiration_hours":0,"_ppp_enabled":false,"ai_generated_summary":"","apple_news_api_created_at":"2024-09-24T20:00:19Z","apple_news_api_id":"20f6d247-58d2-45cb-b3a1-e8e5e77fc597","apple_news_api_modified_at":"2024-09-24T20:00:19Z","apple_news_api_revision":"AAAAAAAAAAD\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/w==","apple_news_api_share_url":"https:\/\/apple.news\/AIPbSR1jSRcuzoejl53_Flw","apple_news_cover_media_provider":"image","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_cover_video_id":0,"apple_news_cover_video_url":"","apple_news_cover_embedwebvideo_url":"","apple_news_is_hidden":"","apple_news_is_paid":"","apple_news_is_preview":"","apple_news_is_sponsored":"","apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":[],"apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false,"relatedPosts":[],"_prc_fork_parent":0,"_prc_fork_status":"","_prc_active_fork":0,"datacite_doi":"","datacite_doi_citation":"","_prc_seo_qr_attachment_id":0,"spoken_article_player_enabled":true,"displayBylines":true,"footnotes":"","prc_watchers":[]},"categories":[361,92,373],"bylines":[850],"collection":[],"datasets":[],"_post_visibility":[],"formats":[467],"_fund_pool":[],"languages":[],"regions-countries":[515],"research-teams":[519],"workflow-status":[],"class_list":["post-187849","short-read","type-short-read","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-education","category-education-politics","category-k-12","bylines-katherine-schaeffer","formats-short-read","regions-countries-united-states","research-teams-social-trends"],"label":"Short Read","post_parent":0,"word_count":1547,"canonical_url":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/short-reads\/2024\/09\/24\/key-facts-about-public-school-teachers-in-the-u-s\/","art_direction":{"A2":{"id":187877,"rawUrl":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/09\/SR_24.09.16_FactsAboutTeachers_feature.jpg","url":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2024\/09\/SR_24.09.16_FactsAboutTeachers_feature.jpg?w=268&h=151&crop=1","width":268,"height":151,"caption":"A senior at Building 21 High School in Allentown, Pennsylvania, talks with his social studies teacher about his senior presentation on May 23, 2024. 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