Data collected by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) echoes many of these memes. For example, its ongoing School Pulse Panel surveys public K–12 schools in the United States on various high-priority topics, and the latest results show that 31% of public school students were reported to be behind grade level at the end of the 2024–25 school year.
However, administrations across the country are trying to address the problem, and 64% of public schools that hired additional educators to provide more small-group and individual instruction reported that this strategy was “very” or “extremely” effective in supporting learning recovery during the current school year.
Additionally, 70% of public schools said that students missed too many classes because they stayed home unnecessarily for minor symptoms, even though 73% of public schools gave incentives for students to improve attendance.
When it comes to teacher absences, 50% of public schools reported that it "remained about the same" compared to the previous school year, and 45% said that the ease or difficulty of getting substitute teachers was "about the same."
However, 36% of public schools reported that the percentage of staff expressing concerns about themselves or their colleagues exhibiting depression, anxiety, trauma, or emotional dysregulation/disturbance has increased compared to the last school year, but only 59% said that employee assistance programs (EAPs) with a mental health component are available to their staff.
The NCES also found that 64% of public schools reported that a lack of qualified candidates was a challenge for them when filling vacant teaching positions.
A nationally representative survey released in 2024 by the RAND Corporation discovered that six in ten teachers (59%) experience frequent job-related stress — almost double the rate of the general working adult population (33%).
Teachers were also more likely to report symptoms of depression, at a rate of 19%, compared to 12% of comparable workers. Additionally, 60% of teachers indicated experiencing burnout, compared to just 33% of comparable workers.
Teachers reported working an average of 53 hours per week, compared to 43 hours per week reported by comparable workers.
However, teachers reported an average base salary of $70,000, compared to an average base pay of roughly $88,000 for their peers in other fields.
So it’s not surprising that, on average, teachers said they wanted a $16,000 increase in their pay and that teachers in all salary bands indicated that they should earn more.
But in the face of all their challenges, teachers seem to be hanging on. Only 22% of them said they wanted to leave their current job, compared to 24% of adults in other sectors.
Do we thank them enough for what they do?
