Job Satisfaction

Education news, analysis, and opinion about how teachers and staff feel about their jobs, including issues related to burnout and stress

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The State of Teaching, 2026 Edition
New national data on the teaching profession, vivid reporting from classrooms, and resources to help support this essential profession.
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Conceptual illustration of classroom conversations and fragmented education elements coming together to form a cohesive picture of a book of classroom knowledge.
Sonia Pulido for Education Week
School & District Management Opinion ‘This Isn’t Working’: Educators Share Unsolicited Advice for District Leaders
How can superintendents improve student outcomes—without micromanaging teachers?
Larry Ferlazzo, March 31, 2026
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8 min read
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A sign reminds students about classroom norms at an elementary school on Aug. 15, 2025 in Bowie, Md. Many teachers in a recent Education Week survey said student behavior was a top problem—and affected their morale.
Pete Kiehart for Education Week
Teaching Profession Teachers Say Student Behavior Has Made the Job (Almost) Impossible
Teachers say their morale is affected when student misbehavior is on the rise.
Olina Banerji, March 24, 2026
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3 min read
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From left, Alicia Simba, a transitional kindergarten teacher; Eric Lewis, a science teacher; Vito Chiala, a principal; Chris Hoffman, a school superintendent; and moderator Diana Lambert of EdSource appear on a panel during the State of Teaching discussion in San Francisco on March 19, 2026. The administrators and classroom educators spoke of what it takes to boost teacher morale.
Andrew Reed/EdSource
Teaching Profession 'Treated as a Professional': How District and School Leaders Can Boost Teacher Morale
California educators talked about the support they need at an event hosted by Education Week and EdSource.
Ileana Najarro, March 20, 2026
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5 min read
Allyson Maldonado, a New Teacher Support Coach, brainstorms during New Teacher Support Coaches Professional Learning session on November 7, 2025 at Center for Professional Development in Fresno. California.
Allyson Maldonado, a New Teacher Support Coach, brainstorms during New Teacher Support Coaches Professional Learning session on November 7, 2025 at Center for Professional Development in Fresno. California.
Andri Tambunan for Education Week
Teaching Profession Data From 50 States: Teachers on Class Sizes, Improving Morale, and How Salaries Stack Up
Teachers across the states report that they make a significant amount beyond what they earn teaching.
Holly Kurtz & Stephen Sawchuk, March 13, 2026
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1 min read
A look at the state of teaching in Fresno, Calif.
A look at the state of teaching in Fresno, Calif.
Andri Tambunan for Education Week
Teaching Profession Data From 50 States: Teachers' Views of How the Profession Is Seen—And Their Own Career Plans
Most believe the public views teaching negatively, and many say they plan to work in other fields.
Holly Kurtz & Stephen Sawchuk, March 13, 2026
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1 min read
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Teaching Profession Download Insights for School Leaders: How to Better Support Teachers
EdWeek's downloadable guide offers tips to principals on how to improve the morale and working conditions of educators.
Sean Cavanagh, March 4, 2026
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1 min read
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Gen Z teachers like Katrina Sacurom, a 5th grade teacher in Frisco, Texas, are bringing passion and fresh ideas to the profession—but also want supports and a reasonable work-life balance. Districts leaders, experts say, need to think about how to meet those needs in order to retain them. Sacurom chats with students during recess at Shawnee Trail Elementary School on Feb. 3, 2026.
Kaylee Domzalski/Education Week
Teaching Profession Generation Z Is Transforming Teaching. Are Districts Ready for Them?
The youngest cohort of teachers have been shaped by technological and educational disruption.
Sarah D. Sparks, March 4, 2026
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16 min read
collaged image of a district leader contemplating schools in their district
Education Week via Canva
Teaching Profession Download Insights for School District Leaders: How to Better Support Teachers
EdWeek's downloadable guide offers tips for K-12 leaders on how they can improve the morale of educators.
Sean Cavanagh, March 4, 2026
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1 min read
Winter in Lowville, N.Y. on Nov. 29, 2025. “There’s a lot of things here in our area that would certainly impact teacher morale if you let it,” said Zippel Principal Christopher Hallett. “We are very conscious of it here in our region. We are isolated in many, many ways: It’s a low-income population in a very rural area, so as you can imagine, there’s not a lot to do. Getting people to think outside the box about their own mental health and self-care is pretty important up here.”
Winter in Lowville, N.Y. on Nov. 29, 2025. For the past three years, teachers in the Northeast—including New York state—have reported significantly poorer morale than teachers in the West, Midwest, and South, according to the EdWeek Research Center’s annual survey. Said one Maine principal, Christopher Hallett: “There’s a lot of things here in our area that would certainly impact teacher morale if you let it."
Cara Anna/AP
Teaching Profession Why Are Teachers in This Region So Miserable?
It's not clear why New England and Mid-Atlantic teachers feel so burned out. But some fixes could help.
Sarah D. Sparks, March 4, 2026
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9 min read
New Teacher Support Coaches engross in a discussion during New Teacher Support Coaches Professional Learning session on November 7, 2025 at Center for Professional Development in Fresno.
Coaches who support new teachers meet on November 7, 2025, at the Fresno, Calif., school district's Center for Professional Development. Nurturing the morale of new teachers is a big challenge for schools across the country.
Andri Tambunan for Education Week
Teaching Profession Quiz Teachers, How Does Your Morale Compare With Your Colleagues'? Take Our Quiz
Take our online quiz and compare your morale score with that of teachers nationwide.
Education Week Staff, March 4, 2026
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1 min read
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Vanessa Solis/Education Week via Canva
Teaching Profession A State-by-State Breakdown of Teacher Job Satisfaction in 2026
See which states have the highest and lowest morale, and access data that can help explain the patterns.
Holly Kurtz & Stephen Sawchuk, March 4, 2026
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2 min read
artistic collage of teacher under pressure
Vanessa Solis/Education Week via Canva
Teaching Profession Teacher Morale in 2026: Five Takeaways
See five highlights from EdWeek's annual, national survey of U.S. teachers.
Holly Kurtz & Maya Riser-Kositsky, March 4, 2026
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1 min read
Pedestrians cross a nearly empty street in downtown Bentonville, Arkansas, U.S., on Thursday, May 28, 2020. The annual Walmart Inc. shareholder celebration attracts a varied crowd who pour money into the hotels, bars and restaurants in and around the retailer's hometown of Bentonville, Arkansas. The Covid-19 pandemic forced Walmart to pivot to a virtual gathering on June 3.
Pedestrians cross a nearly empty street in downtown Bentonville, Ark., on May 28, 2020. The superintendent there has found strategies to recruit and retain educators, including child care and affordable housing for staff.
Terra Fondriest/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Recruitment & Retention District Leaders Want to Retain Talent. They Need to Look Beyond Just Compensation
There are steps K-12 leaders can take to keep teachers and principals in the leadership pipeline, administrators say.
Jennifer Vilcarino, February 11, 2026
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6 min read
A person hunched over and out of energy with school supplies raining down.
iStock + Education Week
Teaching Profession Opinion The Three Worst Words You Can Say to a Teacher
I’m sick of hearing the same patronizing advice from administrators and professional development trainers.
Jherine Wilkerson, January 9, 2026
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3 min read
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