Despite Long Hours & Low Pay, Teachers Love Their Profession
A national survey shows that
public school teachers spend much of their own time expanding
their knowledge and skills, and hundreds of their own dollars purchasing
classroom supplies, books, and materials for their students. And, not
surprisingly, in spite of the long hours and low pay, a majority would
return to the classroom if they had it all to do again.
These findings are among the thousands of fascinating facts about the
professional and personal lives of today’s teachers contained in
Status of the American Public School Teacher. The survey, conducted by
the NEA, represents the most comprehensive
look at the public school teaching force.
“This survey takes you inside some typical public school classrooms
and introduces you to the dedicated professionals who are working there,” said
NEA President Reg Weaver. “I’m proud to say that children
attending public schools today are being taught by the best educated,
most experienced teachers ever. And that’s just the start of the
good news within this report.”
Some key findings of Status of the American Public School Teacher include:
- The
average teacher has 15 years of classroom experience and more than
half of today’s teachers (56%) hold a master’s degree
or 6-year diploma. Nearly one-quarter (23%) began full-time
teaching within the past five years.
- Teachers spend an average of 50
hours per week on instructional duties, including an average of 12
hours each week on non-compensated
school-related activities such as grading papers, bus duty, and club
advising.
- More than three-quarters of teachers (77%) participated
in system-sponsored professional development activities during the
school year; more teachers than ever (35%) participated in such
activities
during the summer.
- Teachers spend an average of $443 of their own
money each year to meet the needs of their students.
- Three-fifths of
teachers (60%) said they would become teachers again. More than
one-fifth (21%) said they would not
choose teaching as a career if they could start over again.
NEA has produced Status of the American Public School Teacher every
five years since 1961, providing a chronicle of the teaching profession
over four decades.
For the first time, the survey sought to identify
the reasons for teachers not remaining in teaching until retirement.
The largest segment of teachers (37%) cited low salaries. Minority
teachers (50%), male teachers (43%), and teachers under
30 (47%) were most likely to claim low pay as the reason they
will not stay in teaching.
The report also reveals a profession that is struggling to provide role
models of both sexes and all races within a teaching workforce that is
predominantly white (90%) and female (79%). Since 1981,
the ratio of male to female teachers has steadily declined – it
now stands at a 40-year low (21%).
“While the news in this report is encouraging on many fronts,
the survey also includes some warning calls that can’t be ignored,” said
Weaver. “People are leaving our profession because of the low pay,
and we’re struggling to recruit and retain male teachers and teachers
of color. These are areas that we must address and correct.”
Posted August 28, 2003