Merrimack University Survey: Teacher Satisfaction Decreases in CRT, LGBTQ Law

If educators can advise younger self whether to pursue teaching as a career, 55% say it’s unlikely, according to the results just released. Merimac University A national survey of 1,324 teachers.

Results of a national representative survey announced during the sponsored webinar Education week On Friday, it was also revealed that 44% of the educators surveyed were very likely or very likely to quit their jobs in order to pursue another profession over the next two years. According to similar surveys conducted in the last few decades, this was the highest percentage reported since the 1980s.

Less than half of the educators surveyed said they felt they were respected and viewed as professionals by the community. At all levels of the K-12 school, female teachers reported feeling less respected than males.

Dan Sarofian Butin, a professor and founding dean of the Winston Graduate School of Education and Social Policy at Merrimack University, said the findings were awkward, especially four out of ten teachers felt respected by the general public. Said that.

Surveys show that the number of college students is low and they often want to teach.

“So when I teach future teachers, teachers are the frontline workers of our democracy, right? We’re not just teaching literacy and math. We’re good citizens to our students. I’m teaching you how to become a teacher. I’m really worried when high school and college students want to be teachers. “

The first Merrimack University Teacher Survey was conducted from January 9th to February 3rd and has a 95% confidence level.

The findings, titled “Deeply Disillusioned,” show that only 12% of the educators surveyed reported that they were “very happy” with their work. This was significantly lower than the previous MetLife survey conducted from 1984 to 2012. A MetLife survey found that in 2008 62% of teachers were “very happy” with their careers. The lowest number for the entire MetLife survey period was 39% in 2012.

Randy Weingarten was asked how state-level legislation on important racial theory, history and problem education on LGBTQ students, families and educators affected teachers’ feelings about work. president American Teachers’ FederationAnswer: “Does this answer take about 30 minutes?”

She said that educators and the education system have endured the dispute in the past, whether it was teaching evolution or a dispute about communism and McCarthyism.

“You have these inflections … where some parts of society feel uncomfortable about what the arc of history and the arc of society are, and that’s the recipe for cultural war,” she said. ..

The teacher’s job is “relational,” Weingarten said.

“If the kids can’t express who they are, or the teacher can’t express who they are, then something is hidden or not organic in the classroom. We are honest. When we can’t teach history, we don’t do what we need to do to help the arc of history move towards justice … Teachers are basically what we do in society. I’m really worried about these new laws aimed at eradicating the diversity of ourselves, “she said.

Daniel Willingham, a professor of psychology at the University of Virginia, said the findings said, “Teachers feel very unsupported by many groups that traditionally felt really supported. There are many parents in it. “

During the pandemic, there were many school districts worried about their safety because teachers did not yet feel that the proper protocol was in place, and in the meantime, “parents of the children they love told them immediately. I was asking you to go back to. “

According to Willingham, education and research show that educators’ educational practices improve over time, so it is important to retain veteran teachers.

“So when talking about losing an experienced teacher, this is a very serious and potentially very serious problem.” OK, you have sales and you need to hire more people. ” It’s not just a problem. We’re losing the best talent, so we need to dig deeper to find out what’s behind their dissatisfaction and what we can do to improve it, “he said.

The survey also delved into teacher rewards. This is especially timely in Utah, as the school district and the local teachers’ association are beginning to complete salary negotiations for the next school year.

The survey found that a typical teacher works about 54 hours a week, less than half of which is spent teaching students directly.

According to polls, just over one-third of educators who have taught for over 20 years say that salaries are fair for their work.

On the other hand, among teachers who have just started their careers, a quarter of teachers who teach less than 3 years are 18% of educators who have completed 3-9 years of education, and 10-20 years in the field.