Overview
- Education Week’s 2026 State of Teaching survey reports a national Teacher Morale Index of 13, down from 18 last year, with Pennsylvania lowest at 1 and Arkansas highest at 24.
- Across all states, fewer than half of teachers say student behavior has stayed the same or improved, and majorities favor smaller classes, limits on phones, curbs on parent interference in discipline, and parent guidance on school-appropriate behavior.
- Beyond pay, the top morale boosters cited are more planning time during the workday (54%), changes in how administrators handle student discipline (53%), and smaller class sizes (51%).
- Many educators report earnings beyond their salaries, with outside income averaging about $4,500 nationally and varying widely by state.
- Career outlooks are fluid, with 49% of teachers expecting to work outside education at some point and 36% expecting to retire within the next decade.