Survey Reveals the Vast Majority of Texas Teachers are Considering Quitting
An alarming number of Texas educators are considering quitting their job.
KSAT is reporting that a survey conducted by the Texas State Teachers Association (TSTA) found that 70% of the teachers surveyed said they were seriously considering moving on from the profession. In comparison, the survey found that 53% of teachers were considering quitting their job in 2018, the last time the survey was conducted.
The survey is typically conducted every two years, but it wasn’t conducted in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While the pandemic was a factor in many of the teachers' desire to leave the profession, it wasn’t the only factor, according to TSTA President Ovidia Molina:
Lingering stress from the pandemic is a factor, but it isn’t the only one. Inadequate pay, political attacks on educators and the failure of state leaders to protect the health and safety of students and school employees also have combined to drive down the morale of teachers to the lowest level in recent memory and endanger our public school system.
On average, those who were surveyed make $59,000 per year, which is $7,000 less than the national average. While teachers’ salaries have increased an average of $5,779 since 2018, rising health insurance premiums and having to pay out-of-pocket for classroom expenses have consumed much of the pay raise.
The teachers surveyed reported spending an average of $846 over the course of the last school year on classroom supplies without being reimbursed.
Hopefully, state leaders will take heed of the survey and make some changes to ensure our educators are taken care of. Otherwise, it’s just a matter of time before many of them move on.