What’s It Like To Be a Teacher in America Today?
Public K-12 teachers express low job satisfaction and few are optimistic about the future of U.S. education.
Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World
Public K-12 teachers express low job satisfaction and few are optimistic about the future of U.S. education.
63% of Americans are pessimistic about the country’s moral and ethical standards, and 59% are pessimistic about its education system.
The public is sharply divided along partisan lines on topics ranging from what should be taught in schools to how much influence parents should have over the curriculum.
A majority of those who say it’s headed in the wrong direction say a major reason is that schools are not spending enough time on core academic subjects.
Republican and Democratic parents differ widely over what their children should learn at school about gender identity, slavery and other topics, but they are equally satisfied with the quality of education their children are receiving.
Around a third of U.S. school districts mention the importance of diversity, equity and inclusion in their mission statements. But these references are far more common in parts of the country won by Joe Biden in 2020 than in areas won by Donald Trump.
Here’s a closer look at what recent surveys have found about Americans’ views of affirmative action.
Workplace diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, or DEI, are increasingly becoming part of national political debates. For a majority of employed U.S. adults (56%), focusing on increasing DEI at work is a good thing. But relatively small shares of workers place a lot of importance on diversity at their workplace.
59% of public K-12 teachers say they are at least somewhat worried about the possibility of a shooting ever happening at their school.
A quarter of U.S. parents of K-12 students say racism or racial inequality comes up in conversation with their children very or fairly often.
1615 L St. NW, Suite 800
Washington, DC 20036
USA
(+1) 202-419-4300 | Main
(+1) 202-857-8562 | Fax
(+1) 202-419-4372 | Media Inquiries
ABOUT PEW RESEARCH CENTER Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping the world. It conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, media content analysis and other empirical social science research. Pew Research Center does not take policy positions. It is a subsidiary of The Pew Charitable Trusts.
© 2024 Pew Research Center