Educators are embarking on new territory. The role of the federal government has shifted, raising new considerations for teachers and school and district leaders. Federal education funding has changed dramatically, and a murky economic forecast presents new budgeting challenges for states and districts. Artificial intelligence appears to dominate nearly every K-12 discussion: Some are bullish on technology advances for education; others believe it could end education as we now know it for better or for worse. And even as educators consistently think that civics instruction is mission critical, they don’t see eye to eye on what that should look like. Amid all the turmoil, where educators stand on these issues isn’t always predictable.
This summer, the EdWeek Research Center surveyed 559 educators—teachers and school and district leaders—to get a read on their sentiments. Reflecting a nationally representative sample of the educator workforce, respondents hailed from rural, suburban, and urban districts and from every region of the country, and the majority were white, female, and from Generation X.
We asked educators which presidential candidate they voted for in the 2024 election. Their responses reflect national survey data from Pew on how educators self-identify: Just over 60% voted for Kamala Harris, and about a quarter voted for Donald Trump. The remaining respondents either voted for a third-party candidate or didn’t vote.
This project is part of a special report called Big Ideas in which EdWeek reporters, the EdWeek Research Center, and contributing researchers ask hard questions about K-12 education’s biggest challenges and offer insights based on their extensive coverage and expertise.
How educators feel about the secretary of education
Educators often have mixed feelings about the incumbent U.S. secretary of education—some have fared better in the court of public opinion than others. When we asked educators to share their favorability rating of the current secretary, Linda McMahon, who had only been in her role for about five months at the time of the survey, we found sharply divided responses, depending on voter preference. Trump supporters seemed far more willing to withhold judgment than those of Harris, perhaps because the educators who voted for Trump felt it was too early to make a call.
Educators also had mixed feelings about the 2025-26 school year: They felt “uncertain,” “worried,” and “overwhelmed” but also “hopeful” and “optimistic” as they looked ahead. Viewing their sentiments through the lens of how they voted, it appears Harris voters were much more likely to say they felt “uncertain” and “worried” than Trump voters. Roughly one-fifth, regardless of their political beliefs, felt burnt out. But that’s one of the only areas where views were aligned.
The role of the federal government reflects a divide
What role should the federal government play in K-12 education is perhaps one of the most enduring debates in public education, even preceding the formation of the Department of Education. Where educators agree, regardless of politics: The federal government should not mandate curricula or standards. When it comes to school choice, surveyed educators of both major political parties agreed that funding to support school choice isn’t necessarily a priority: Only 13% of Trump and 9% of Harris voters indicated that the feds should play that role. Educators’ disagreements otherwise tend to fall along party lines.
Artificial intelligence is ‘coming fast and furious’
For operations, like class and busing scheduling, educators believe in the power of AI: Nearly 80% said schools should increase its use by a little or a lot for such tasks. Educators have mixed feelings, though, about AI’s impact on student learning. They are evenly divided when it comes to the impact that AI platforms, such as ChatGPT, will have on teaching and learning over the next five years: Almost half said it would be somewhat negative or very negative, and nearly the same said it would be somewhat positive or very positive. In their comments, educators recognize that AI is a “vital tool” but that it allows students to “cheat more efficiently” and can have an adverse effect on learning and the formation of critical-thinking skills. And, even as they recognize that students need to be prepared for the use of AI in the workforce and that schools must embrace generative AI, as one educator shared, “AI is coming at us fast and furious, and schools are not keeping up.”
When educators were asked whether their districts or schools had established “meaningful guardrails,” almost 40% said they had, but 45% said they “don’t have an AI policy.” A larger share of Trump than Harris voters, however, said their schools had established “meaningful guardrails.”
Civics instruction is a bipartisan issue … mostly
In addition to reading and math instruction, civics learning frequently surfaces as playing a critical role in K-12 education. According to the survey, 92% of both Trump and Harris voters believe that the purpose of K-12 civics instruction is to prepare students to understand how governments function in our country.
Regardless of who educators voted for, roughly 70% also believe that civics instruction should teach students to “understand and follow laws” and “serve their communities.”
But a divide reveals itself when it comes to questioning, critiquing, or holding government officials accountable.
Data analysis for this article was provided by the EdWeek Research Center. Learn more about the center’s work.
