U.S. on Verge of a Great Teacher Resignation, New National Survey Finds

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Jun 13, 2023, 08:00 ET

Only 27% of teachers say it is very likely that they will still teach five years from now.

LOS ANGELES, June 13, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The country could be on the verge of a massive teacher shortage, as many teachers are dissatisfied with their profession and considering leaving the field within the next few years, says a new report from the Gradient Learning Poll, a national educator survey that polls hundreds of teachers and school leaders to better understand the state of education.

Teachers have a bleak outlook on their profession:

74% wouldn't recommend a career in teaching or education to a family member or friend.
64% are less satisfied with teaching today compared to before the pandemic.

The Poll found that 95% of teachers and school leaders say a lack of public respect is a highly important or moderately important aspect of an educator's decision-making process for staying or leaving the profession.

To begin to mitigate this impending crisis, educators believe increasing salaries for teachers is crucial. Additionally, a majority of teachers (73%) and school leaders (80%) believe that fostering a school culture of positivity and collaboration is a "very valuable" potential solution to keeping more teachers in the profession.

"It's disheartening to see teachers feeling so tired and unsupported," said Monica Milligan, Chief Program Officer of Gradient Learning. "Educators are asking for help, and we must answer their call by treating them with the respect they deserve. There is no back-up plan to teach our children."

Download the full report, and, contact Taylor Stanton at [email protected], to arrange interviews.

About the Gradient Learning Poll
The Gradient Learning Poll is conducted in partnership with Project Tomorrow, a nationally recognized, education nonprofit organization with a focus on understanding the impact of new learning models and interventions on student outcomes and teacher effectiveness. In Spring 2023, the Gradient Learning Poll conducted an online survey of 428 teachers and 211 school leaders across the country–including respondents from 45 states, plus the District of Columbia–to better understand their views on the state of education. The poll includes educators at schools that are not a part of the Gradient Learning program.

About Gradient Learning

As a nonprofit organization led by educators, Gradient Learning is a trusted partner — to communities, schools, educators — that creates captivating solutions to meet the holistic needs of every child while fostering success for all. We are empowering an underpowered educational system to work for students of today and tomorrow. Our offerings include the Summit Learning program — a research-based approach to education designed to drive student engagement, meaningful learning, and strong student-teacher relationships — and Along.

SOURCE Gradient Learning