AUSTIN The Charles Butt Foundation Wednesday released findings from its 2023 Texas Teacher Poll in a report titled “Listening to the Educator Experience.” Since its inception in 2020, the Texas Teacher Poll has provided insights, gleaned directly from teachers, into the challenges teachers face, their experiences as professionals, and their outlook on the profession.
The 2023 poll revealed teachers’ concerns about their working conditions and treatment of the profession. Ninety-four percent of teachers cited poor pay and benefits, excessive workloads/long hours, and staff shortages as sources of personal stress. Many teachers reported feeling they need more training or support from their campus to respond to various school safety scenarios.
“We titled this year’s report ‘Listening to the Educator Experience’ because we continue to ground our research in listening,” Shari Albright, president of the Charles Butt Foundation, said in a news release. “This year’s survey, the fourth consecutive, makes clear teachers are still struggling with the structural challenges of the profession, yet they know where the state should target resources, and for which students they need additional administrative support and training.”
Teacher voices identified roadmap for solutions
The 2023 poll found the number of teachers looking to leave the profession remains above 75 percent. Previous poll findings from 2022 revealed 97 percent of teachers surveyed identified a positive work culture and environment as important to encouraging them to continue working as public school teachers. This year’s 2023 poll identified steps campus administrators can take to create a positive work culture and environment for teachers:
- Support teachers in handling student discipline (94 percent)
- Give teachers autonomy as classroom leaders (94 percent)
- Take teachers’ opinions into account when setting school policies (94 percent)
- Advocate for teachers in interactions with parents and the community (93 percent)
- Provide adequate campus security (92 percent)
- Provide adequate supplies and equipment (92 percent)
- Manage the amount on non-instructional tasks and responsibilities (91 percent)
- Provide adequate support staff (91 percent)
Mental health is a top concern for teachers
Taking a deeper look at the stressors shared by teachers, the 2023 poll found mental health is associated with their work environment. Most Texas public school teachers, 83 percent surveyed, rated their overall mental health positively. However, when asked to rate their mental health specifically in relation to their teaching jobs, 58 percent of teachers reported positively about their mental health.
Eighty-six percent of teachers expressed feelings of keeping students safe as a source of stress, and 91 percent of teachers cited the need to support students’ mental health and emotional well-being as a source of stress.
“By centering the voices of teachers we believe our research is truly reflective of the current teaching workforce in Texas,” Audrey Boklage, vice president of learning and impact at the Charles Butt Foundation, said in the release. “We hope others see this as a call to action to listen and learn from the educator experience. By listening to their voices, we can better understand their needs and work to create a more supportive and empowering environment for educators across Texas.”
Poll marks fourth year in the field
Released annually, the Texas Teacher Poll asks over 1,000 Texas public school teachers to share about their experiences in the teaching workforce. This is the fourth annual poll of Texas public school teachers’ opinions. The report is published by the Charles Butt Foundation and polling is conducted by Langer Research Associates of New York.
Click here to learn more about the findings from the 2023 Texas Teacher Poll.
