Measuring Teacher Morale

If we are ever going to invent a new system of learning for our kids, we need to change the role of teaching. Teachers will need to disappear so that new positions – some call them learning coaches – can be introduced.

But, until that time, we are morally and ethically responsible for trying to improve the plight of teachers – low pay, highly criticized, and under-valued – until a new system of learning (including learning coaches) comes to fruition.

Yesterday, EducationWeek released their national Teacher Morale Index, reporting that overall teacher job satisfaction is improving:

“Teachers’ overall job satisfaction is shifting in a positive direction, according to Education Week’s Teacher Morale Index, a year-over-year, multi-faceted gauge of how teachers feel about the profession.”

“In the 2024-25 school year, the national Teacher Morale Index is +18 on a scale of -100 to +100, suggesting that teachers, overall, view their jobs more positively than negatively. That score is a significant climb from last year’s -13.”

“The Teacher Morale Index, developed by the EdWeek Research Center, measures teachers’ levels of confidence and enthusiasm about their work based on responses to three survey questions that were part of a larger, nationally representative poll fielded among more than 2,500 teachers last fall.”

“While the overall measure of +18 presents an improving picture nationally, morale levels look quite different depending on the state teachers are working in. That why the EdWeek Research Center’s survey of teachers last fall set out to capture representative samples of educators in all 50 states. We wanted to show the variability in the state-specific findings in order for district and school leaders, along with policymakers, to better understand the mood of their teacher workforces closer to home.”

“The state-level findings show a spread of +47 at the high end to -14 on the low end. While the differences in morale by state are striking, the findings don’t explain why teachers in Georgia, for example, have much higher morale than their peers in New Hampshire.”

…

“The factors shaping teachers’ morale – specifically the types of changes that could make their satisfaction levels improve – do vary depending on where teachers live and work. In its survey of teachers, the EdWeek Research Center asked about several key components of teachers’ working conditions to shed light – both nationally and at the state level – on the types of policies and practices that could be adopted, adjusted, or abandoned to improve job satisfaction.”

Here are the questions and their responses (national, not state):

“Other than a pay raise, what types of change would be most likely to improve your morale at work?

More staff to support teachers and students – 22%

Shifts in school leadership approaches and styles – 14%

A pay raise is the only thing that would improve my morale at work – 10%

Changes to school rules and policies – 9%”

“What changes to school leadership would improve your morale at work a lot?

More/better support for student discipline-related issues – 55%

More advocacy for teachers’ needs – 48%

Better communication – 45%

More acknowledgement of hard work/successes – 44%

Less micro-management – 41%

A commitment to treating teachers fairly and consistently without playing favorites – 40%”

“Select all that apply. My morale at work would improve a lot if my district/school hired more:

Teachers (full-time/permanent) – 49%

Paraprofessionals – 42%

Substitute teachers – 39%

Mental health professionals/school counselors – 39%

Special educators – 35%”

“What scheduling shifts would improve your morale at work a lot? Select all that apply.

More planning time during the workday – 56%

Replacing a five-day school week with four longer school days – 50%

Fewer meetings – 44%

Less time required for lunch duty, hall duty, and other non-teaching student supervisory tasks – 34%

Ability to work from home at least some of the time – 30%”

Here’s more results from The Index:

89% of teachers surveyed said that capping the number of students per class to reduce the class size would increase their morale.

33% of teachers surveyed said that retaining more students in grade levels would increase their morale.

49% of teachers surveyed said that increasing the use of suspension and expulsion would increase their morale.

64% of teachers surveyed said the stricter rules around student cellphone use would increase their morale.

23% of teachers surveyed said that requiring everyone who enters the building to pass through a metal detector would increase their morale.

32% of teachers surveyed said that a more lenient dress code would increase their morale.

8% of teachers surveyed said that a more lenient student dress code would increase their morale.

26% of teachers surveyed said that curricular standardization across classrooms, schools, courses, and grade levels would increase their morale.

39% of teachers surveyed said that increasing personalized and project-based learning would increase their morale.

40% of teachers surveyed said that increasing career and technical education would increase their morale.

44% of teachers surveyed said that increasing social-emotional learning would increase their morale.

33% of teachers surveyed said that emphasizing basic skills (like memorization) would increase their morale.

22% of teachers surveyed said that integrating AI into the curriculum would increase their morale.

41% of teachers surveyed said that focusing on “non-tested” subjects (subjects other than math and English/language arts) would increase their morale.

It seems like a mixed bag of reaction.

And it seems like it suggests a traditional school system that, at least when it comes to its teachers, might not really know where it’s headed.

Til tomorrow. SVB