NOT TO WORRY ... MOST TEACHERS WILL FIND IT HARD TO GET ANY OTHER KIND OF JOB

Record percentage of Texas teachers considering quitting, survey shows

 

By Hannah Norton 

 

Community Impact 

August 9, 2022

 

 

 

More Texas teachers are considering leaving the field than any time in the last 42 years, according to the Texas State Teachers Association.

Seventy percent of teachers were “seriously considering” quitting their jobs after the 2021-22 school year, according to new survey results from the TSTA. This is an increase from 2018, when 53% of teachers reportedly considered leaving the field.

Researchers from Sam Houston State University surveyed 688 teachers in the late spring and early summer this year, according to a news release. The TSTA began administering the biennial survey in 1980 but did not collect results in 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Several factors contributed to low teacher morale, according to the TSTA. Many teachers are still feeling increased stress from the pandemic, but reports showed that low salaries and pressure from parents and state officials also hurt teachers.

 

Financial pressure

 

The average salary for Texas teachers was $59,000, the survey results showed. This is roughly $7,000 below the national average of $66,397, according to the National Education Association.

NEA reported that, when adjusted for inflation, teachers made $2,150 less on average in 2022 than they did in 2012.

One-fourth of Texas educators held secondary jobs to make ends meet during the school year, while 55% had jobs during summer break. Over 80% of teachers with extra jobs said they believed these roles hurt the quality of their teaching, but the TSTA reported that many teachers would need an estimated raise of $12,000 to only work one job.

And 82% of teachers reported increased financial pressures during the pandemic. Teachers spent about $846 of their own money for classroom supplies during the 2021-22 school year, which TSTA officials said rose from $738 in 2018.

Although teacher salaries rose by $5,779 annually since 2018, TSTA officials said health insurance premiums also rose by about $2,136 per year. According to the release, the state has not increased its contribution to teachers’ insurance premiums in 20 years.

Public backlash

Texas educators also felt legislative support for schools had decreased. About 85% of survey respondents said state leaders and lawmakers have a negative view of teachers, according to the TSTA. Meanwhile, 70% of teachers said parental support decreased during the pandemic.

During the second special legislative session of 2021, lawmakers approved Senate Bill 3, which modifies the state’s social studies curriculum and prohibits certain discussions about race and sex. The bill, which replaced House Bill 3979, was an attempt to “abolish” critical race theory, according to reporting by The Texas Tribune.

“​​Teachers have been working for years with inadequate funding and a lack of respect from state leaders,” TSTA President Ovidia Molina said in the release. “It is time for these leaders to wake up to the crisis they are causing our public schools and put education over politics.”

The TSTA survey was conducted online and included teachers from all grade levels with an average of 16 years of teaching experience. Educators from urban, suburban and rural school districts were surveyed.

TSTA did not respond to an interview request from Community Impact Newspaper.