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David Plotts

A Profession in Crisis: Findings From a National Teacher Survey



“As teachers grapple with the fallout of a worldwide pandemic and renewed attention to the culture wars in schools, their satisfaction rates appear to have hit an all-time low, according to the first annual Merrimack College Teacher Survey commissioned by the Winston School of Education and Social Policy at Merrimack College and conducted by the nonprofit, nonpartisan EdWeek Research Center.


The survey results suggest a deep disillusionment of many teachers who feel overworked, underpaid, and under-appreciated, with potential implications for a once-in-a-generation shift in the teaching profession. For example, just 12 percent of teachers, the survey found, are very satisfied with their jobs, with more than four in ten teachers saying they were very or fairly likely to leave the profession in the next two years.”


One teacher sums it up that they are “expected to fix the ills of society, but when they aren’t treated like the experts and professionals they are and when they aren’t paid as much as others with the same education (if not less), they no longer see any reason to stay.” If we do not provide our teachers and educators with autonomy, professional support, and respect, we will see an increased departure.


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