The State of Teaching

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  • Teachers are the backbone of America’s schools, but the future of the profession is in a precarious state.

    SoT Visual Stamp With Education Week not reversed

    The expertise and skill required to do the job well is often underestimated, while the ever-increasing demands of the job are not well understood or sometimes misrepresented.

    That’s why Education Week has launched an ambitious new project to portray the reality of teaching and help guide more effective policies and practices for the workforce of more than 3 million educators: The State of Teaching.

    The project—which we will produce annually—is built on exclusive, nationally representative data from the EdWeek Research Center and on-the-ground reporting from EdWeek journalists.

    Our mission is to shed light on the experiences, attitudes, and morale of teachers. We aim to bust myths and challenge oversimplified narratives. We will capture vivid stories from teachers—the everyday highs and lows. And ultimately, we hope to surface new insights that can lead to innovative and effective solutions to empower this essential profession.







      Featured Story

      The 'Difficult, Beautiful' Work of Teaching
      From sunup to sundown, America's teachers grapple with countless decisions, interruptions, joys, and frustrations.






    Explore More Stories

    Teaching Profession The State of Teaching What One Record-Setting Teacher Shortage Can Tell Us About the Profession
    Oklahoma struggles mightily with the widespread perception that teaching is a low-wage, high-stress, low-respect profession.
    13 min read
    Students in Sofia Alvarez-Briglie's class test the design of their experiments during class on Nov. 13, 2023.
    Students in Sofia Alvarez-Briglie's class at Alcott Middle School in Norman, Okla., test the design of their science experiments on Nov. 13, 2023. Oklahoma has experienced a dramatic decline in teacher-prep enrollments, and teachers there say pay and politics have affected the profession's desirability.
    Brett Deering for Education Week
    Teaching Profession The State of Teaching 'I Probably Cried Every Night': The Truth About Supporting New Teachers
    New teachers are in hot demand, but face a changed—and challenging—profession.
    13 min read
    Collage of a teacher, students, clocks, lockers, school buildings.
    Collage by Lincoln Agnew for Education Week (Images: iStock/Getty)
    Teaching Profession Quiz How Much Do You Know About America's Teachers? Quiz Yourself
    Take our quiz to gauge your knowledge of America's teaching profession—and find links to further reading.
    Sofia Alvarez-Briglie, a middle school science teacher at Alcott Middle School in Norman, Okla., works with a student during class on Nov. 13, 2023.
    Sofia Alvarez-Briglie, a middle school science teacher at Alcott Middle School in Norman, Okla., works with a student during class on Nov. 13, 2023.
    Brett Deering for Education Week
    Teaching Profession In Their Own Words He Comes From a Family of Teachers. Does He Want That for the Next Generation?
    Alfred “Shivy” Brooks II, a high school economics and government teacher from a family of educators, talks about his profession.
    6 min read
    Alfred ”Shivy” Brooks II, left, and his father, Alfred Books Sr., chat together at Charles R. Drew High School in Riverdale, Ga., on Feb. 28, 2024.
    Alfred ”Shivy” Brooks II, left, and his father, Alfred Books Sr. visit at Charles R. Drew High School in Riverdale, Ga., on Feb. 28, 2024.
    Josiah Rundles for Education Week
    Teaching Profession The State of Teaching Here's What Keeps Teachers on the Job
    Hear why these teachers stay in the job, despite its challenges and lower pay.
    Fourth graders do a warm up dance at the beginning of Helen Chan's math class at South Loop Elementary School on November 15, 2023, in Chicago.
    Fourth graders do a warm-up dance at the beginning of Helen Chan's math class at South Loop Elementary School on Nov. 15, 2023, in Chicago.
    Jamie Kelter Davis for Education Week
    Teaching Profession The State of Teaching 'You Don't Know Teacher Tired': Educators Sound Off on Misconceptions
    Hear what teachers featured in EdWeek's The State of Teaching Project say makes their jobs more difficult.
    Frank Rivera teaches 7th grade ELA at Chaparral Star Academy in Austin, Texas, on Nov. 15, 2023.
    Frank Rivera teaches 7th grade ELA at Chaparral Star Academy in Austin, Texas, on Nov. 15, 2023.
    Montinique Monroe for Education Week
    Teaching Profession The State of Teaching It's 'a Passion, It’s Not Just a Paycheck': Teachers' Advice on Joining the Profession
    If you go into the job with open eyes, it's worth it, say five teachers featured in EdWeek's The State of Teaching project.
    Fourth grade students have fun interacting in a math class taught by Helen Chan at South Loop Elementary School on Nov. 15, 2023, in Chicago, Ill.
    Fourth grade students have fun interacting in a math class taught by Helen Chan at South Loop Elementary School on Nov. 15, 2023, in Chicago.
    Jamie Kelter Davis for Education Week
    Teaching Profession The State of Teaching Dear Administrators: Teachers Want You to Get These 8 Tasks Off Their Plates
    Teachers say these job duties shouldn't be part of their day-to-day responsibilities.
    6 min read
     Teacher female hands holding calendar
    Zinkevych/iStock/Getty
    Teaching Profession The State of Teaching This Is the Surprising Career Stage When Teachers Are Unhappiest
    Survey data reveal a slump in teachers' job satisfaction a few years into their careers.
    7 min read
    Female Asian teacher at her desk marking students' work
    iStock/Getty
    Teaching Profession The State of Teaching Black Teachers Have the Highest Morale. Why?
    Black teachers view the job more positively, exclusive survey data show. How can schools hold onto them?
    8 min read
    Tyler Wright teaches 4th grade math at Stono Park Elementary School in Charleston, S.C., on Nov. 18, 2022. Charleston County, like other places across the country, is working to increase the number of Black male teachers in the classroom.
    Tyler Wright teaches 4th grade math at Stono Park Elementary School in Charleston, S.C., on Nov. 18, 2022. Charleston County, like other places across the country, is working to increase the number of Black male teachers in the classroom.
    Grace Beahm Alford/The Post And Courier via AP
    Assessment The State of Teaching Where Teachers Say the Pressure to Change Grades Comes From
    Teachers are more likely to be pressured by parents than school leaders.
    4 min read
    Conceptul image in blues of a teacher handing out graded papers.
    Liz Yap/Education Week and E+
    Early Childhood The State of Teaching Young Kids Are Struggling With Skills Like Listening, Sharing, and Using Scissors
    Teachers say basic skills and tasks are more challenging for young students now than they were five years ago.
    5 min read
    Young girl using scissors in classroom.
    E+ / Getty

    Videos

    Teaching Profession Video From School Lockdown to 'Business as Usual': A Teacher's Day
    From an unexpected school lockdown to building students' confidence in science, it's "business as usual" for this Arizona high school teacher.
    1 min read
    Teaching Profession Video Nonstop From Classroom to Classroom, an ESOL Teacher's Day
    This ESOL teacher moves from room to room throughout the day, working with students from kindergarten through 5th grade.
    1 min read
    Special Education Video Inside an Inclusive Classroom: How Two Teachers Work Together
    This model for inclusive education benefits students of all abilities, and the teachers instructing them.
    1 min read

    Data & Resources

    Teaching Profession The State of Teaching Introducing the Teacher Morale Index
    The EdWeek Research Center's Teacher Morale Index provides a year-over-year look at teachers' enthusiasm.
    Calendar posted on a bulletin board with sticky notes displaying emojis which become increasingly despondent as the month progresses
    Vanessa Solis/Education Week vis Canva
    Teaching Profession The State of Teaching DATA: 5 Key Insights Into America's Teachers
    Teachers' viewpoints diverge significantly from principals on some core issues, The State of Teaching national survey results show.
    2 min read
    State of Teaching
    Laura Baker and Vanessa Solis/Education Week via Canva
    School & District Management Download Principals, Are You in Sync With Your Teachers? (Downloadable)
    New data show some important disconnects between teachers' experiences and principals' perceptions of them.
    1 min read
    teachers meeting at a table
    Vanessa Solis/Education Week via Canva
    School & District Management Download What District Leaders Need to Know About Teacher Morale (Downloadable)
    A discussion guide on morale and some key factors shaping how teachers feel about their jobs.
    1 min read
    Collage of a school building, clipboard, and strategy.
    Vanessa Solis/Education Week via Canva

    Our Supporters

    Education Week's The State of Teaching project is supported in part by grants from the following philanthropic partners:



    Charles Butt Foundation
    William & Flora Hewlett Foundation
    The Joyce Foundation
    The Walton Family Foundation




    Our coverage of teachers and the teaching profession is also made possible by general operating support from:



    Carnegie Corporation of New York
    Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
    Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies






    Events



    Join EdWeek for more discussion on The State of Teaching at these live and virtual events:
    Launch at SXSW EDU
    March 6, 2024
    Turn the Tide on Teacher Morale | K-12 Essentials Forum
    April 11, 2024 | 2:00 p.m. - 4:15 p.m. ET
    School & District Management Live Event Education Week's Leadership Symposium 2024
    Join us LIVE in Washington, D.C. Metro area for three days of empowering strategies, networking, and inspiration on May 1-3, 2024.
    May 1, 2024






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    Advisory Board



    Special thanks to the first-ever Education Week Teacher Advisory Panel, a group of teachers from across the country who shared their insights and feedback as we developed the survey and project. They are: Whitney Aragaki, science teacher at Waiākea High School in Hilo, Hawaii; Michelle Faust, literacy coach at Carolina Springs Elementary School in Lexington, S.C; Frank Mata, English teacher at Eleanor Roosevelt High School in Eastvale, Calif.; Claire Mehta, special education teacher at Wheaton North High School in Wheaton, Ill.; Tanya Moorer, instructional literacy coach at Joseph Lee K-8 School in Boston; Jocelyn Providence, math teacher at Baltimore School for the Arts in Baltimore; Luisa Sparrow, special education teacher at Oliver Hazard Perry K-6 School in Boston; Layla Treuhaft-Ali, 5th grade humanities teacher at Bronzeville Classical School in Chicago; and Kathryn Vaughn, art teacher at Brighton Elementary School in Brighton, Tenn.