America’s teachers are increasingly feeling burnt out
Image: Emily Mesner/Anchorage Daily News
Students across the US are showing up to school for the first time, and their teachers are facing the usual mix of excitement and jitters.
However, a growing portion of teachers also report feeling demoralized, exhausted, and burnt out before the school year even starts.
By the numbers: The share of US teachers who say the stress and disappointment of the job are “worth it” currently stands at 42%, or 21 percentage points lower than all other college-educated workers, per a recent survey by nonprofit think tank Rand.
- That figure is down from 72% in 2018, the last year data is available before the pandemic.
- Additionally, US teacher exit rates have reached new highs over the past two years, according to data from several states.
Driving the trend... In recent surveys and interviews, teachers say the single biggest driver of burnout is having to manage students’ misbehavior. Challenges cited by educators include policing cell phone usage in class, dealing with AI-powered cheating, and handling a recent spike in mental-health issues among students.
Low pay was also consistently cited as a major source of teacher stress. Nationally, average US teaching salaries fell 6% between 2019-2021 after adjusting for inflation, and have continued to lag behind most other professions over the past two-and-a-half years.
Big picture: As teachers across the country report increasing rates of burnout and stress, school districts are also scrambling to deal with a nationwide teacher shortage for all levels. Last year, 86% of all US public school districts said they struggled to hire teachers – a trend projected to continue for the foreseeable future, largely due to declining interest in teaching among US college students.
📊 Flash poll (long-form): Calling all 25,000+ classrooms using the DONUT: How would you deal with increasing rates of burnout and stress among teachers in America? The most thoughtful answers will be featured in tomorrow’s newsletter.
See a 360° view of what media pundits are saying →
Sprinkles from the Left
- Some commentators argue that teachers are increasingly facing burnout and a desire to leave the profession due to the difficulties they face outside of the typical day-to-day work of teaching, including the threat of gun violence and the influence of culture wars.
- Others contend that the discussion around America’s teachers should focus on their “moral injuries,” a term that draws attention to the immense disconnect that occurs when the educational policies teachers must follow are at odds with what they know is right.
- “People Don’t Want to Be Teachers Anymore. Can You Blame Them?” –Jessica Grose, NY Times
- “It’s not teacher burnout. It’s moral injury.” –Rachel Wright, Salt Lake Tribune
- “Are School Leaders Contributing to Their Own Stress and Burnout?” –Peter DeWitt, Education Week
Sprinkles from the Right
- Some commentators argue that one of the main reasons American students’ academic performance is suffering in the aftermath of the pandemic is because of the recent exodus of teachers from the profession.
- Others contend that improved salaries would help keep teachers in classrooms – but on top of that, America needs to turn schools back into havens of learning and places where teachers want to be.
- “The Post-Pandemic Teaching Loss” –WSJ Editorial Board
- “School resumes, but how can we keep teachers at their job?” –Emily McGinnis, Dallas Morning News
- “We’re Making Teaching Miserable for Teachers” –Daniel Buck, National Review
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