A new survey from The Harris Poll and the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools reveals important insights about the views and motivations of teachers today. The Alliance commissioned the survey to examine trends in light of current teacher shortages and to assess teachers’ views of public education. Of particular note: Charter school teachers seem more satisfied with their jobs and working conditions than district teachers, and they have maintained this sense of fulfillment over a long arc of time and despite challenging circumstances in recent years.
“Listen to Your Teacher” poll assessed views of over 1,200 teachers
Pollsters queried 1,211 public district and public charter school teachers between May 10 and May 30, 2023. Results are only available in a sneak peek memo, with full findings coming in August. However, here are some of the top takeaways on teachers’ perspectives:
- Most teachers, 97%, don’t believe the public really understands the rigors of their jobs.
- Almost 40% have considered leaving teaching–either in the past or by the end of the year.
- Teachers view student behavior/discipline and pay as their top challenges.
- Nearly 8 in 10, or 79%, of all teachers say public school choice is important for families and teachers.
See an overall infographic from the Alliance below:
Source: National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, “Listen to Your Teacher” (Sneak Peek Memo), June 20, 2023.
Charter school teachers report higher satisfaction and fulfillment
However, something different is going on with charter schools, according to the Alliance. Charter school teachers report more satisfaction and fulfillment than district teachers. For instance, according to the poll:
- 97% of charter school teachers are satisfied with their jobs, compared to 83% of district teachers.
- 79% of charter school teachers say they are as motivated–or more motivated–to teach than when they first started, compared to just 34% of district teachers.
- 90% of charter school teachers feel valued by their school’s administration, compared to 68% of district teachers.
See the infographic from the Alliance below regarding charter teachers:
Source: National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, “Listen to Your Teacher” (Sneak Peek Memo), June 20, 2023.
In a press release, Debbie Veney, the senior vice president of marketing and communications at the Alliance, said this about the charter findings:
It looks like there is something interesting happening in charter schools and it’s helping to create conditions for happier teachers who can keep their motivation high, even in tough times. These findings suggest there might be practices in charter schools that could be replicated to better support teachers in other kinds of schools.
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