According to more than 2,500 teachers, administrators and leaders nationwide, promoting school attendance is their greatest challenge in 2025, new research asserts. Here’s what else is on their mind.
PowerSchool, a comprehensive student information system provider, surveyed educators to better understand the most pressing challenges and emerging priorities shaping the future of education. Aside from reporting attendance-related challenges (50%), educators are also prioritizing:
- Implementing student behavioral interventions (42%)
- Addressing fundamental student learning needs (40%)
- Addressing educator and staff vacancies (40%)
- Strategic budgeting and maximizing resources (37%)
These priorities shift depending on the role in question, the survey adds. For example, district administrators are most concerned with strategic budgeting and staffing shortages. School administrators rank student attendance as their top challenge, and teachers place greater emphasis on student learning needs and behavior management.
More from DA: Educators react as ‘One Big, Beautiful Bill’ passes through Senate
Edtech strategy
Survey respondents were also asked about their district’s use of various instructional tools, including artificial intelligence. Some of the notable findings include:
- AI is trending: Fifty-four percent of educators identified AI tools to support and personalize learning as the most impactful trend on student learning outcomes over the next 2-4 years.
- AI use is lacking: Despite its popularity, only 13% of classroom educators and 11% of school administrators currently use AI to support work-based learning
- Disparities persist: Only 12% of respondents strongly agree their district has a clear vision for AI in the classroom. Over half (55%) disagree.
- A need for professional development: Only 12% of educators strongly agree that their district provides sufficient AI-related professional development.
Budget and staffing pressures
As for K12 district leaders, the survey suggests they’re grappling with a dual crisis: a persistent teacher shortage and mounting financial uncertainty. While administrators are eager to modernize talent systems and financial operations, they still experience hurdles in recruitment, retention and strategic planning.
Here’s what the data says:
Teacher shortages and burnout
- 48% of district administrators say addressing teacher vacancies is a top challenge
- 37% of classroom educators and 38% of school leaders cite staff and student mental health as a major concern
- 50% of school leaders say staff morale and motivation are keeping them up at night
School finance uncertainty
- 50% of district leaders say strategic budgeting is a top challenge. The top three budget hurdles include:
- Political/economic uncertainty (48%)
- Balancing department needs (47%)
- Funding emerging needs like tech and mental health (35%)
- Least cited hurdles (<10%) include collective bargaining, stakeholder input, lack of financial visibility and lack of tech for staffing
- Top areas where new solutions are needed include:
- Grant management (51%)
- Strategic staffing (42%)
- Financial business intelligence (35%)
- Procure management (34%)
