For Teachers, It's 'All Work and No Pay'

The well-being of many U.S. public school teachers appears to have improved since the start of the pandemic. However, teachers in some states are still leaving their jobs at higher rates than before COVID-19 hit.

RAND researchers recently conducted a survey to learn more about what might be driving America's educators out of the classroom. Here's what they found:

• Sixty-six percent of U.S. teachers say their base salary is inadequate. That's compared with 39 percent of U.S. working adults.
• On average, teachers want $17,000 more per year to feel that their pay is adequate. This equates roughly to a 27 percent raise—comparable to the estimated gap in pay between teachers and other similarly college-educated workers.
• During the school year, teachers worked more hours per week, on average, than all working adults (53 hours compared with 46).
• Low salary and long working hours were the top-ranked reasons why teachers said they were considering leaving their jobs.
• Compared with white teachers, Black teachers reported working more hours per week and were less satisfied with their base salary. Black teachers were also more likely than white teachers to consider leaving their jobs.

Addressing these issues is important. When teachers leave their jobs, student achievement can suffer, and the cost of replacing teachers can be high. To increase teacher pay and improve working conditions, state policymakers could begin by setting a minimum pay for starting salaries, and district leaders could expand opportunities for extra pay for additional school-related activities.