Around the country, teachers are battling challenges that are causing them to consider abandoning the profession for good. In some states, the likelihood of quitting is even higher.
In the past couple of weeks, a handful of states have surveyed their teachers to get a read on how they’re feeling heading into the new school year. Let’s take a look at what they had to say.
Delaware teachers aren’t happy
Delaware’s schools have 861 open teaching positions, according to the Delaware Schools Consortium. A survey from the state’s largest teachers union, the Delaware State Education Association, might help explain why.
Seventy-five percent of members said they’re more likely to retire or leave education earlier than planned, according to the Delaware News Journal. Seven in 10 educators also said they were dissatisfied with working conditions.
Additionally, 62% of teachers reported feeling higher levels of stress and burnout compared to previous years.
What Texas teachers are saying
Teacher morale is low in Texas, too, with some 75% of them having seriously considered leaving the profession by the end of the 2023-24 school year, according to the Texas State Teachers Association. That’s only five percent lower than what the survey captured two years ago.
According to one leader, political interference may be to blame.
“I don’t know how many of these teachers actually quit or retired early, because their responses were anonymous,” said TSTA President Ovidia Molina in a public statement. “But I fear many of them have left the classroom or will be leaving the classroom soon if our state leaders don’t start supporting public education and educators and stop making political attacks against schools.”
Reporting financial stress
The same survey indicates that one-third of the teachers took extra jobs during the school year to make ends meet. They spent on average 13.5 hours a week on their second jobs.
On a similar note, teachers in several states are in a bind for cash as they spend around $1,300 out of pocket per year on school supplies. States like Texas, Pennsylvania, Arizona, Indiana and Missouri rank among the highest nationwide for such expenses, a survey from CouponBirds concludes. The national average spending is $915.
Teachers are using their own money to purchase a variety of classroom necessities, including:
- School supplies
- Classroom decor
- Education aids (books, games, etc.)
- Snacks
- Cleaning supplies
- First aid supplies
“Where myriad guardians are naturally expected to use their hard-earned money to help foster student success, teachers are now sharing the burden with them—perhaps more than ever anticipated,” the survey reads.
Related DA coverage
For more articles that shed light on the current state of teaching, check out some of District Administration’s latest coverage:
